Naked Gold – A provocative 8.5-foot sculpture of Donald Trump has arrived at the European Parliament, sparking intense debate on power and political influence.
The silence in the hall lasted only a few seconds. quickly replaced by a mix of laughter. applause. and hushed. serious conversation. At the center of the commotion in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. France. stands an 8.5-foot-tall figure that is impossible to ignore: a naked. 23-karat-gold-coated Donald Trump. perched heavily on the shoulders of a smaller. clearly burdened man.
Danish artist Jens Galschiot. the creator of the work. calls the piece “The Orange Plague. ” though he also refers to it as the “King of Injustice.” The sculpture. which will remain on display in the heart of European politics until Thursday. is a direct evolution of Galschiot’s 2002 work “Survival of the Fattest.” While the original piece used an emaciated boy carrying a woman to highlight global resource inequality. this new version swaps the figure for the former U.S. president.
The symbolism is layered and intentional. Galschiot points to the club clutched in the statue’s hand as a representation of a leader who treats the world like a golf course. believing he can dictate its direction with a swing. He drew inspiration from the classic Hans Christian Andersen fable “The Emperor’s New Clothes. ” viewing the statue as a commentary on the vanity of powerful figures who operate without regard for the people or the planet. It was commissioned for the COP30 United Nations climate summit scheduled for November 2025 in Belém, Brazil.
Per Clausen. a Danish member of the European Parliament representing the Red-Green Alliance. extended the invitation to bring the work into the legislative chamber. For those walking the halls in Strasbourg. the statue has shifted the atmosphere. forcing a conversation about the extent of Trump’s influence on the European Union. Galschiot described the sculpture as a study of the relationship between power and powerlessness. centered on a man who believes he can decide the fates of others.
While the former president has offered no public comment on the installation. the artist is clear about the message he hopes will eventually reach the subject. If he were standing face-to-face with the president. Galschiot said he would offer a blunt directive: “Get off our backs.” He remains hopeful that viewers—and perhaps the president himself—will focus on the exhausted figure bearing the weight of the gold-coated leader. rather than the opulence of the statue itself.
Donald Trump European Parliament Jens Galschiot The Orange Plague Strasbourg political art