Absolutely PRICELESS...Take Two...

The other day, I pointed to a piece in the International Herald Tribune in which a number of artists were, allegedly, contracted to present "art" made up of contributions from each of the 27 European Union member states. The result was rather humorous and not necessarily what the EU expected.

It turns out that only one artist produced the work...and now the European Union is discussing how they can...get rid of it.

In the 16-square-meter, or 172-square-foot, work, Bulgaria is portrayed as a lavatory and France as a country on strike, while Britain is absent from Europe altogether.

The revelation that the work was produced by one artist, David Cerny, leaves the Czechs with an embarrassing decision about whether to remove the installation.

In material produced by the Czech government, many of the fictional artists named as creators of the work had detailed biographies and Web sites, apparently set up by Cerny. Several were mentioned in reports in the media, including the International Herald Tribune.

Classic!!! The piece is hanging outside the office buildings in Brussels...and looks pretty weak, in my opinion. But, it creates a dilemma for the EU. Do they pull it and risk being labeled as "intolerant?" Or do they leave it up and risk offending the perpetual offended pansies of their constituency. Keep in mind that the Netherlands was represented as a member state fully underwater with the exception of minarets sticking up through the surface.

Reuters reported that Cerny had admitted to making up the names with two friends.

"We knew the truth would come out," Reuters quoted Cerny as saying. "But before that, we wanted to find out if Europe is able to laugh at itself."

I'm betting...not.