Controversial EU sculpture dismantled six weeks early others available (Roundup)

May 11, 2009, 12:44 GMT

Brussels - A sculpture created for the Czech Republic's European Union presidency which mocked several EU member states - including a depiction of Bulgaria as a Turkish toilet, was dismantled six weeks early on Monday, bringing to an end one of the EU's most bizarre sagas.

'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.

'I am against the new government,' which was sworn in on Friday, Cerny told the German Press Agency dpa when he announced his decision.

Cerny is still the legal owner of the work, and therefore has the right to have it removed, the new government said Monday.

'The Czech Presidency preferred ... 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 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,' it pointed out.

But the new Czech foreign minister, Jan Kohout, criticized the move, which amounts to a public slap in the face to his government.

'I was not very pleased by having it here before, but it is stupid to take it out at the last moment,' he said.

The 8-ton sculpture caused massive offence by depicting Bulgaria as 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

Cerny initially claimed that he made it 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 ineffective.

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