A new, highly satirical sculpture has been installed within the European Parliament building in Strasbourg. Titled "The Orange Plague," the 2.6-meter tall work by Danish artist Jens Galschiøt depicts a nude Donald Trump sitting atop a smaller, frailer man. In the sculpture, the figure holds a comically oversized golf club in one hand and a set of scales in the other. According to the artist, the statue is coated in 23-karat gold and is also referred to as the "King of Injustice."
A plaque located beneath the installation reads: "I am sitting on the back of a man. Except stepping down from his back." Galschiøt explained that the piece was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale, The Emperor’s New Clothes, and serves as a "satirical outcry" against Trump’s approach to foreign and climate policies.
The installation has been accompanied by a distribution effort, with Galschiøt providing 3D-printed miniature versions of the sculpture to both visitors and parliamentary staff. The artist stated that he has produced approximately 20,000 of these smaller models for distribution. The statue was invited to the parliament by Per Clausen, a left-wing Danish member of the European Parliament. Addressing potential backlash from the subject, Clausen stated, "If someone is so thin-skinned that they cannot tolerate this sculpture being exhibited in the European Parliament, then they have no place on the world stage."
While Donald Trump is known for being reactive online, there has been no official response from him regarding "The Orange Plague" as of yet. The sculpture has a history of exhibition, having previously appeared at the "hands off Greenland" demonstrations in Copenhagen and the COP30 UN Climate Summit in Belém, Brazil. Following the current installation in Strasbourg, Galschiøt intends to exhibit the work again next month at the COP31 UN Climate Conference in Antalya, Türkiye.
