PRAGUE – A Czech artist behind a mosaic that played with national stereotypes of EU member states admitted yesterday he had deceived the government over the work, commissioned to mark the Czech Republic’s EU presidency.
The artwork Entropa was due to be officially unveiled in Brussels tomorrow. Now, after artist David Cerny revealed that it is not, as was promised, the common work of artists from the union’s 27 states, the Czech government says it is reviewing what to do with it.
The work, formed by geographical shapes of EU states, shows France as being on strike, Romania as a Dracula theme-park and Bulgaria as a rudimentary toilet. Britain is represented by its absence. Ireland is portrayed as a set of hairy uilleann pipes, supposedly made by the artist “John O’Connell”.
But after being challenged by the Czech media, Cerny acknowledged yesterday that he had made up all the artists’ names and put together the mosaic with the help of two friends.
“We knew the truth would come out. But before that, we wanted to find out if Europe is able to laugh at itself,” Cerny said.
Czech deputy prime minister Alexandr Vondra said his government would announce tomorrow what action it intended to take.
Bulgaria has condemned its portrayal as bad taste and demanded its image be removed. – (Reuters)