A golden statue featuring Donald Trump sitting on the shoulders of a smaller man was put on exhibit in the European Parliament building in Strasbourg, France. Titled The Orange Plague, the eight-foot installation is designed by Danish sculptor Jens Galschiøt. It is covered in 23-karat gold leaf.
About the statue:
The installation shows Trump holding a golf club with a world-shaped ball resting in front of him. On the other hand, he is seen holding a set of scales.
It also has a satirical attribute inscribed at the base. “I am sitting on the back of a man. He is sinking under my burden. I will do anything to help him. Except step down from his back.”
Why did Jens Galschiøt create it?
The artist has framed the installation as a “satirical outcry”. “Trump is destroying all the things I believe in,” he said in a statement.
While “The Orange Plague” grabbed headlines across the world, it is far from the only strange statue created by artists over the years. Here are three other bizarre statues of Donald Trump.
“Best Friends Forever”
Last year, a statue depicting US President Donald Trump holding hands with Jeffrey Epstein appeared in a park in Washington, D.C. It had a plaque beneath it which read, "In honour of Friendship Month, we celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J Trump and his 'closest friend,' Jeffrey Epstein."
{{/usCountry}}Last year, a statue depicting US President Donald Trump holding hands with Jeffrey Epstein appeared in a park in Washington, D.C. It had a plaque beneath it which read, "In honour of Friendship Month, we celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J Trump and his 'closest friend,' Jeffrey Epstein."
{{/usCountry}}The artwork was, however, later dismantled and removed from the National Mall. It was created by the activist art group The Secret Handshake.
"The statue was removed because it was not compliant with the permit issued,” Elizabeth Peace, a spokesperson for the Department of the Interior, told CNN last year.
“The Emperor Has No Balls”
A life-sized nude statue of Trump appeared in Union Square Park in New York City in 2016. According to Reuters, it showed “a massive belly, small fingers and some missing genitals.”
The installation was a part of a series that appeared unannounced in public spaces across five US cities. It was created by an anonymous artists' collective called INDECLINE. It was later put up for auction.
“Wooden Trump statue”
Almost six years ago, a wooden statue of Donald Trump was burned to the ground. The installation mocking the president was erected in Slovenia, the birthplace of his wife, Melania Trump.
Nearly 26 feet tall, the statue resembled Trump’s trademark hair and depicted him wearing a blue suit. The statue had a mechanism that, when activated, opened the installation's mouth, revealing a red interior and shark-like teeth.
“Like all populists, the statue has two faces,” Tomaz Schlegl, the statue’s creator, told the Guardian in 2020. “One is humane and nice, the other is that of a vampire.”