メラニア夫人の像、故郷スロベニアに再び登場　前作は放火で焼失

【セブニツァＡＦＰ＝時事】ドナルド・トランプ米大統領の妻メラニア夫人の故郷であるスロベニア・セブニツァ近郊で15日、メラニア氏の等身大の銅像が披露された。セブニツァでは以前、夫人の木製の彫像が展示されていたが、今年7月に放火によって焼失している。（写真はスロベニア・セブニツァ近郊で披露されたメラニア・トランプ米大統領夫人の銅像）
　銅像の制作者はコンセプチュアル・アート（概念芸術）を専門とする米芸術家、ブラッド・ダウニー氏。燃やされた彫像もダウニー氏の作品だった。
　スロベニアではトランプ家をモチーフにした芸術作品が強い反発を招いてきた。ポピュリズム（大衆迎合主義）政治に対する批判を目的に、同国のセラプリカムニク村にトランプ大統領の木像が建造されたが、これも今年１月、放火により焼失した。
　服と靴が青く色付けされた前回の像とは対照的に、今回制作されたメラニア像は単色でできている。
　ダウニー氏はＡＦＰに対し、この新作を「反記念像、反プロパガンダ」として機能させたいと語った。
　また、銅像を「風刺画」だと評する一方、１１月の米大統領選の直前に新作を発表したのは売名行為ではないと否定。
　そしてトランプ氏の選挙活動を後押しすることになるとの懸念については一部認めたものの、作品は同氏の反移民政策に対する批判の意が込められており、本人の妻が移民であることも暗示していると主張している。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/09/17-11:52）

A field in Slovenia near the hometown of US First Lady Melania Trump on Tuesday became the site for the latest artistic homage to Melania to grace her homeland.
A bronze life-sized statue of her by American conceptual artist Brad Downey was unveiled near the town of Sevnica, after the previous one was burnt down by unknown arsonists in July.
Artworks inspired by the Trumps have previously aroused strong feelings in Slovenia.
A wooden statue of her husband US President Donald Trump in the village of Sela pri Kamniku -- which was intended as a criticism of populist politics -- was also burnt down in January.
In contrast to the previous Melania statue, which was carved out of a tree and featured a blue dress and heels, the new bronze version is monochrome.
Downey told AFP he wanted his latest work to serve as an anti-monument, anti-propaganda.
He describes it as a caricature but denies that he is seeking self-promotion by unveiling the new statue in the run-up to November's US presidential election.
He does admit some concern that he will end up promoting Trump's campaign, but insists his work is meant as a critique of Trump's anti-immigrant politics, alluding to the fact his own wife is an immigrant to the US.
The statue was made with a mould of the original, which was carved with a chainsaw last year by a local artisan named Ales Zupevc.
Downey commissioned the work after finding out Zupevc was the same age and from the same town as the US First Lady.
I like it, it's a perfect copy! Zupevc told AFP before climbing onto the tree stump on which the new statue stands, to pose for locals and for the few reporters invited to the modest unveiling ceremony.
Those present enjoyed a Melania cake now produced by a Sevnica bakery, one of a range of Slovenian products devoted to the US First Lady produced which includes Melania honey and even Melania slippers.
As for the locals, those who came to the unveiling were enthusiastic.
Our whole community, all the houses you see around here, we are all very happy with it and with how it looks, one local mother in her 30s told AFP, without disclosing her name.
Whether all Slovenians take so enthusiastically to the latest addition to the country's canon of Trump family statues remains to be seen.