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The European Parliament in Strasbourg is temporarily displaying Danish artist Jens Galschiøt’s gilded sculpture “The Orange Plague,” which depicts a nude Donald Trump riding on a man’s shoulders. The display was sponsored by European Parliament member Per Clausen and is scheduled to remain in Strasbourg through October 8 before traveling to Turkey for COP31. The artist says the work is intended to prompt debate about Trump’s policies and climate action.
Danish artist Jens Galschiøt’s gilded sculpture of Donald Trump is on temporary display at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, where the work satirizes the U.S. president and is intended to prompt debate about his policies and climate action. The exhibition was sponsored by European Parliament member Per Clausen and is scheduled to leave Strasbourg on October 8, according to Hyperallergic.
Titled “The Orange Plague” (2025), the sculpture shows a naked Trump sitting on the shoulders of a thin man who appears to strain under his weight. The copper work is coated in 23-karat gold leaf. Trump holds a small set of scales representing justice in one hand and a golf club in the other; its ball is shaped as a globe, which Galschiøt uses to refer to the president’s global influence and the environment.
Hyperallergic reported that the piece is being shown temporarily on the Parliament’s premises. Clausen sponsored the display, and Galschiøt has also distributed 3D-printed miniatures as souvenirs and calls to action. The report says the sculpture is due to travel to Anatolia, Turkey, for COP31 next month; it does not provide a more detailed itinerary.
Galschiøt says the work draws on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, a story about a ruler’s vanity and the refusal to speak plainly. The artist’s interpretation and political message are his own; the display itself is a temporary exhibition, not a statement of policy adopted by the European Parliament.
A Political Artwork Inside Parliament
The installation brings an openly critical artwork about a sitting U.S. president into a prominent European political institution. It gives visitors a visual expression of Galschiøt’s argument that Trump’s influence and policies deserve public scrutiny, particularly over climate policy. The piece is also a reminder that political sculpture can function as protest and public debate, rather than as an official institutional position.
Its planned travel to COP31 in Turkey connects the work’s political satire to an international climate forum. Galschiøt says he wants the sculpture to encourage discussion about how governments respond to U.S. policy. The artwork does not, by itself, establish how European lawmakers or governments view those policies, and the source report does not describe any official Parliament response.
miniature gilded political sculpture
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From COP30 to Strasbourg
Galschiøt first presented “The Orange Plague” in Belém, Brazil, at COP30 last November, according to Hyperallergic. Since then, it has traveled between Denmark and Germany before arriving at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Its movement between an international climate conference and a parliamentary site reflects the artist’s stated aim of placing climate politics and presidential power in public view.
In his project description, Galschiøt said the sculpture refers to “The Emperor’s New Clothes” and wrote that Trump “believes the gold makes him great.” He also said the work was made to address what he called “the elephant in the room” and to encourage debate about U.S. climate policy. Those remarks are the artist’s explanation of the work, not independently verified findings about the effects of particular policies.
The source report also notes earlier nude Trump effigies: a large one displayed outside Las Vegas in 2024 and life-size sculptures installed in several U.S. locations in 2016. Galschiøt has made other works addressing political and social issues, including “Pillar of Shame” (1997), which commemorates people killed in the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
““believes the gold makes him great.””
— Jens Galschiøt, in the sculpture’s project description
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Display Dates and Official Response
The source report gives October 8 as the date the sculpture is due to leave Strasbourg but does not state the year, so the exact calendar timing cannot be established from the supplied information alone. It says the work is expected to go to Anatolia for COP31 next month, but does not specify a venue, arrival date, or subsequent exhibition schedule.
It is also unclear whether the European Parliament issued an institutional statement about the installation or how many visitors have seen it. The report identifies Clausen as the sponsor, but provides no details about the display’s funding, formal approval process, or any responses from Trump or U.S. officials. Galschiøt’s claims about political pressure and climate policy remain attributed to him.
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The Sculpture’s Planned COP31 Stop
According to Hyperallergic, the Strasbourg display is scheduled to end on October 8, after which the sculpture is expected to travel to Anatolia, Turkey, for COP31 next month. The supplied report does not name the intended exhibition site or give a confirmed date for its arrival.
Further details about the COP31 presentation, the sculpture’s itinerary, and any response from the European Parliament or the U.S. administration were not available in the source material. The next reported milestone is the work’s departure from Strasbourg and its planned appearance in Turkey.
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Key Questions
What does “The Orange Plague” depict?
The sculpture shows a naked Donald Trump sitting on the shoulders of a man who is straining under his weight. It includes a small scale of justice and a golf club with a globe-shaped ball.
Who made and sponsored the sculpture?
Danish artist Jens Galschiøt made the work. European Parliament member Per Clausen sponsored its temporary display in Strasbourg, according to Hyperallergic.
Why did Galschiøt create it?
Galschiøt says the piece draws on “The Emperor’s New Clothes” and is meant to prompt debate about Trump’s policies and climate action. That explanation reflects the artist’s stated intent.
How long will it be at the European Parliament?
The report says the sculpture is scheduled to remain in Strasbourg through October 8. It does not specify the year in the supplied material.
Where will the sculpture go next?
It is expected to travel to Anatolia, Turkey, for COP31 next month, according to the report. A specific venue and arrival date were not provided.
Source: rss
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