Tekstboks: FREEDOM TO POLLUTE Tekstboks: Statue of Liberty spilling out smoke in front of the US Embassy in Copenhagen Tekstboks: A 28 feet replica of the Statue of Liberty was spilling out smoke from her torch in Copenhagen throughout the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg August 2002. The smoking statue symbolizes the selfish ‘Freedom To Pollute’ attitude that the rich countries, with the USA in the lead, flaunted at the Summit. The City Council banned the exhibition of the sculpture in the central Kongens Nytorv, allegedly for esthetical reasons. However, this argument did not convince the artist, who exclaimed: “This is blatant political obstruction!” and added: “It’s a farcical claim that the world’s most famous sculpture - the American liberty symbol - is in too bad taste to be exhibited in Copenhagen.” She has since become the icon of a continued campaign for sustainable development and has toured around Denmark and Germany.

Go to the main page of the project.

HERE you find plenty of photos of the smoking statue.

Click HERE for short presentations of Jens Galschiot’s manifold projects.         

Click HERE for an overview of Jens Galschiot’s sculptures.

Jens Galschiot’s homepage
Tekstboks: US ambassador in Denmark, Mr Stuart Bernstein was handed over a handwritten message to President Bush