Controversial EU sculpture dismantled six weeks early

May 11, 2009, 10:00 GMT

Brussels - A satirical sculpture poking fun at national stereotypes created for the Czech Republic's EU presidency was dismantled six weeks early on Monday, bringing to an end one of Brussels' most bizarre sagas.

The 8-ton sculpture, which caused massive offence by depicting Bulgaria a 'Turkish toilet', France as being on strike, Italy as a crowd of masturbating footballers and the Netherlands as no more than a cluster of underwater mosques, among other insulting stereotypes.

'Entropa' built by Czech sculptor David Cerny, was meant to hang in the atrium of the EU's Brussels headquarters until July 1, when Sweden takes over the EU presidency.

But Cerny ordered it dismantled after the Czech government was brought down by a vote of no confidence on March 24.

'The Czech Presidency preferred the option to let the installation remain in Brussels as originally planned. However, the presidency fully respects artistic freedom and therefore also the wish of the creator of the installation to remove the work,' a statement from the new Czech government, sworn in on Friday, said.

'The original contract between the artist and the office of the government allows both parties to change the date of removal of the work,' the statement said.

Cerny initially claimed that it was made in collaboration with artists from all 27 EU states.

But just a day after the opening, he admitted that he and two friends had made the whole thing up themselves, in a move which severely embarrassed the Czech government.

It was the first in a series of gaffes to humiliate the Czech presidency, which is now regarded by many Brussels insiders as being scandalously ineffective.

Cerny, however, had the last laugh: Entropa has drawn more comment and more viewers than any other EU artwork in recent times.