Statue of Donald Trump (Slovenia)

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.