STRASBOURG: A gilded, larger-than-life Donald Trump sculpture has been unveiled at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, depicting the US president naked, eyes closed and perched on the back of a frail man.
Standing 2.6 metres tall, "The Orange Plague" is the work of Danish artist Jens Galschiøt. Made of copper and covered in 23-carat gold leaf, the sculpture shows Trump holding a golf club and the scales of justice, with his thighs and sagging belly wrapped around the head of the smaller figure.
Galschiøt presents Trump as a self-proclaimed "King of Injustice", using the sculpture to criticise his wealth, political power, climate policies and what the artist describes as the erosion of the rule-based world order.
The work draws on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Emperor's New Clothes", in which a vain emperor is deceived into believing he is wearing magnificent clothes despite being naked. Galschiøt uses Trump's nakedness and gold covering to represent wealth and privilege.
The artist said the golf club and world-shaped golf ball reference Trump's association with golf and the global consequences of his policies, while the scales of justice represent what he sees as Trump's attempt to define justice on his own terms.
"Trump represents one of the greatest threats to the rule-based world order, democratic values and our common effort to solve the climate crisis," Galschiøt said.
The installation is not an official European Union statement against Trump. It was sponsored by Danish politician Per Clausen of the socialist Red-Green Alliance and the European Parliament's Left group. Members of the European Parliament can host exhibitions on its premises, subject to approval and rules governing offensive or inflammatory material.
The sculpture has previously been displayed at political demonstrations and international events, including the COP30 climate summit in Brazil in November 2025. Galschiøt plans to take it to Turkey for the COP31 climate conference in November 2026. (ANI)
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