The Orange Plague statue appears at European Parliament in Strasbourg
Usagevpn.com – The Orange Plague, a satirical sculpture portraying a nude Donald Trump, has been installed at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The 2.6-metre work was created by Danish artist Jens Galschiøt and is also known as King of Injustice. Covered in 23-karat gold, the statue shows Trump seated on the back of a smaller and frailer man, holding an oversized golf club in one hand and scales in the other.
The artwork takes its title from The Orange Plague and draws on the tale of The Emperor’s New Clothes by Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen. Galschiøt describes the piece as a satirical response to Trump’s climate and foreign policies, using exaggerated imagery to challenge political power and public silence.
An artwork intended to provoke debate
According to the artist, the installation is designed to address what he calls “the elephant in the room”: the concern that governments and organisations may hesitate to criticise Trump because they fear consequences such as tariffs, funding cuts or deportations. Galschiøt said his independent workshop is not subject to those constraints and can use art to raise the issue directly.
“Nations as well as NGOs are afraid to openly raise the subject [of] how to deal with Trump and his policies, fearing tariffs, fund-cuts, deportations or the like,” Galschiøt wrote on his website.
He also said the sculpture is meant to encourage discussion about climate action. In his view, the political approach represented by the statue threatens international efforts to confront the climate crisis. The work’s combination of gold, nudity and caricature is intended to make its criticism impossible to overlook inside one of the European Union’s most prominent institutions.
Miniature versions distributed at the Parliament
Visitors to the exhibition receive a 3D-printed miniature of the sculpture. Galschiøt has said that around 20,000 copies were produced and distributed to visitors as well as staff at the European Parliament. The small replicas extend the project beyond the gallery space, allowing people to take the political artwork away with them.
The Strasbourg installation was invited by Danish left-wing Member of the European Parliament Per Clausen. Clausen said he was not concerned about the possibility of a reaction from Trump, arguing that political figures on the world stage should be able to tolerate artistic criticism.
“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,” Clausen said.
Where The Orange Plague has been shown
The Orange Plague had already appeared at “hands off Greenland” demonstrations in Copenhagen earlier this year. It was also displayed during the COP30 UN Climate Summit in Belém, Brazil, last year. Following its stay in Strasbourg, Galschiøt plans to exhibit the work again at the COP31 UN Climate Conference next month in Antalya, Türkiye.
There had been no reaction from Trump at the time of the installation. The former US president has frequently responded online to criticism and depictions of himself, making the lack of an immediate public response notable. For Galschiøt, however, the central purpose of The Orange Plague is not a response from its subject but a wider discussion about political accountability, international cooperation and climate policy.
FAQ: The Orange Plague in Strasbourg
What is The Orange Plague?
The Orange Plague is a 2.6-metre, gold-covered satirical sculpture by Danish artist Jens Galschiøt. It portrays a nude Donald Trump holding a golf club and scales while sitting on a smaller man.
Why is the statue at the European Parliament?
The work was invited by Danish MEP Per Clausen. Its installation in Strasbourg is intended to prompt debate about Trump’s policies, political criticism and climate action.
Can visitors receive a miniature sculpture?
Yes. Visitors are given a 3D-printed miniature of the artwork. Galschiøt said approximately 20,000 miniature versions were made for visitors and European Parliament staff.
