Statue of Donald Trump (Slovenia)

This article is about the wooden statue in Slovenia. For other uses, see Statue of Donald Trump.
Statue of Donald Trump
ArtistTomaz Schlegl
Year2019
MediumWooden sculpture
SubjectDonald Trump
LocationSela pri Kamniku, Slovenia
Coordinates46°14′15″N 14°41′06″E / 46.2375°N 14.6849°E / 46.2375; 14.6849

A statue of the 45th U.S. President Donald Trump was erected on private land in Sela pri Kamniku, Slovenia, in 2019.[1] The approximately 25-foot (7.6 m) wood monument depicted Trump wearing a blue suit and a red tie, with a fierce expression and his right arm raised in a fist.[2] A mechanism inside the statue allowed the mouth to open, revealing sharp teeth. Tomaz Schlegl, the artist behind the project, said that "Like all populists, the statue has two faces."[3]

The artist intended the statue as "a provocation, because the world is full of populism". Former Slovenian member of parliament Igor Omerza thought it could be seen as a sign of the country's "love-hate" relationship with President Trump, depicting either the raised hand of the Statue of Liberty or the iron fist of a populist dictator.[2]

After complaints from residents, the statue was relocated to Moravče. It was vandalised with the addition of a Hitler moustache, and later burned to the ground by unknown arsonists.[3][4][5]

  1. ^ "Trump gets own 'Statue of Liberty' in Slovenia". 2019-08-29. Archived from the original on 2019-08-29. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  2. ^ a b "'Unflattering' statue of Trump built in Melania's home country was made 'by young people who dislike him'". The Independent. 2019-08-29. Archived from the original on 2022-05-24. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  3. ^ a b "Statue mocking Trump as a two-faced 'vampire' set ablaze in Slovenia". FOX News. 10 January 2020. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  4. ^ "Statue mocking Donald Trump torched in Slovenia". NBC News. 9 January 2020. Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  5. ^ "Wooden Trump statue burned to the ground in Slovenia". The Guardian. Associated Press. 2020-01-09. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2023-08-08.