David Černý’s sculpture Entropa caused a diplomatic stir when it was unveiled in mid-January 2009 to mark the beginning of the Czech Presidency of the EU. It also raised important questions about the European Union, identity, freedom of speech and intercultural dialogue. As these are all areas close to our hearts, we invited the creator of the work, David Černý, back to Brussels in March 2009 to talk about his popular and highly controversial installation.
The audience of approximately 150 strong was made up of a broad range of nationalities, including the head of several cultural institutes that make up EUNIC Brussels, each curious to ask questions on the nature of how their country had been depicted in the final work. Černý and curator / friend Tomáš Pospiszyl were keen to remind the audience that Entropa is in fact one (albeit large) work, rather than 27 smaller works. They did admit however, that had they had more time, they would have devoted more effort to coming up with more interesting depictions of some (unnamed) countries which in Černý and Pospiszyl's words were ‘a bit dull’.
The evening was summed up nicely by the final comment of the evening. A Commission official said that she had been working at the European Commission for more than 30 years and never seen a work generate more interest. The work has at least proved that art can still inspire political debate and action.
The event was filmed by German national television channel ZDF and the press had the chance to interview Černý after the debate. Special thanks to Petr Polivka, head of the Czech cultural institute for helping us get hold of David Černý.
Missed the event? Watch the video
Part 1 - Introduction to EUNIC Club, presentation on the work of David Černý, background to Entropa
Part 2 - David Černý responds to questions from the audience
The trouble with Entropa…
The unveiling of Entropa, and the diplomatic stir surrounding it, was reported in national newspapers across Europe and beyond. Remarking on the work, Betina Joteva, spokesperson for the Bulgarian mission to the EU said that "Bulgarian national dignity is at stake here".
Alexandr Vondra, the Czech deputy prime minister apologised to anyone who was offended by the work and admitted that the Czech government had had an “unpleasant surprise” when it discovered that the work was not the product of 27 artists from all EU member states but had been conceived and created by Černý and a team of collaborators alone.
We conducted a poll on our website about the controversial work which showed that 40% of visitors found the work ‘offensive’.
A EUNIC Club event
EUNIC Club is by invitation only and is hosted on a rotation system by one of the 14 member institutes of EUNIC (EU National Institutes for Culture) Brussels. The club evenings consist of a presentation and discussion and offer allow professionals in the cultural sector to meet and share their knowledge in an informal setting.
You can find out more information about EUNIC Club events on the EUNIC Brussels website
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