Entropa: Finland with elephant, hippo

Here is how Finland is portrayed in the controversial art exhibit organized by the Czech Presidency of the European Union. http://eux.tv/2009/01/14/czech-eu-presidency-removes-entropa-brochure-from-it...

Entropa: Stereotypes are Barriers to be Demolished

Today, the Czech Republic unveiled a modern art installation called 'Entropa' in the atrium of
the Justus Lipsius builiding of the EU Council in Brussels. The installation will remain in its
stand-by mode until Thursday 15 January when it will 'start to live' in the full regime. On
that occasion a press conference will be held in the Justus Lipsius building in the presence of
Alexandr Vondra, the Deputy Prime Minister for EU Affairs of the Czech Republic, and Milena
Vicenová, the Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the European Union,
among others.

Entropa is the joint work of 27 artists, each one from a different Member State. Each object
depicts one Member State using common stereotypes or prejudices. The Presidency
commissioned the artists without any restrictions and they were free to create any object
they liked.

'Sculpture, and art more generally, can speak where words fail. In line with the Czech
Presidency motto a 'Europe without Barriers', we gave the 27 artists the same opportunity to
express themselves freely, as a proof that in today´s Europe there is no place for
censorship,' said Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra. 'In return we got an uncommon,
yet common piece of art. I am confident in Europe´s open mind and capacity to appreciate
such a project.'




'The freedom of art as an extension of the freedom of speech is the core value of
democracy,' said Milena Vicenová, the Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to
the European Union. 'There are many barriers to integration and cooperation in Europe.
Stereotypes are such barriers. When we point out the stereotypes we begin demolishing
them. Making fun of prejudice destroys it most efficiently.'




The Czech Presidencys motto a 'Europe without Barriers' expresses the dedication to
remove remaining obstacles to cooperation between the EU Member States. In particular
obstacles to the free movement of goods, services, persons and capital. The Presidency
notes that other barriers also hamper a fruitful cooperation between the European nations.




The Czech government is renting Entropa until the 30 June 2009. The rental costs amount to
€50,000. Other expenses, such as production costs, were to be borne by the creator, the
Czech artist David Černý, born 15 December 1967 in Prague. His works can be seen in many
locations in Prague and elsewhere. He gained notoriety in 1991 by painting a Soviet tank
that served as a war memorial in central Prague pink. As the Monument to Soviet Tank
Crews was still a national cultural monument at that time, he was briefly arrested. Another
of Černý's conspicuous contributions to Prague is his 'Tower Babies', a series of cast figures
of crawling infants attached to Žižkov Television Tower.




It is a Presidency tradition to install a decoration in the Justus Lipsius building atrium for the
duration of the Presidency.




More on David Černý on www.davidcerny.cz

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[bobekecske]

I think that the motto: 'Entropa: Stereotypes are Barriers to be Demolished' refers to what you're saying, actually. The point of making fun of every country in the EU shows us how little we actually know about each other, and that there's a lot more behind for exc Finnish people than saunas and alcohol.

[cowboystitching]

Finland has a terrible alcoholism problem.

[ichmalealsobinich]

Why elephants and hipphos in Finland? I think mobilephones would fit much better to this land ;-)

[dasmysteryman12]

Suomen safari :D

[ciaduda]

why insult others without reason?

[ciaduda]

Seeing pink elephants" is a euphemism for drunken hallucination, caused by alcoholic hallucinosis or delirium tremens. (wikipedia)

[tykvun]

maybe not the biggest... I didn't mean it as a negative think... it's just as it is... actually all the alco stuff that comes from Finland is good; I love Finland(ia) :-)

[bartek4443]

are you saying that Finland is the country with the biggest reputation for drinking? that is not true at all lol

[AMGTEC]

Hey Aivopark, I can see you know how the Americans do smell..and how many Americans did you smell creature? You know twonky how can we find creature like you here in US? Just going into the woods, picking up a boulder and looking under it..

[cowboystitching]

You're absolutely right. But does America's problems somehow make European countries immune to parody and criticism? Get over yourself.

[aivopark]

And Yanks are stupid, with a terrible alcohol and drug problem. Schools in US are even worse than in Africa and fat americans smells bad too...