This week, visitors on the National Mall can enjoy a gold-framed continuous video of President Trump awkwardly dancing. The video, which plays on a gaudy gilded TV, is part of DC’s latest temporary political statue. It sits on a podium with a single plaque that quotes a White House statement: “In the United States of America you have the freedom to display your so-called ‘art,’ no matter how ugly it is.”
Seeing this mysterious statue today felt like déja vu, as it comes just over a week after a similar anti-Trump statue—which seems to have the same organizers—appeared in the same spot on the National Mall.
That statue stayed on the Mall from June 17 to 22, and featured a giant gold thumb crushing the cracked head and crown of the Statue of Liberty. The installment sat on a similar podium with “DICTATOR APPROVED” written on it and plaques quoting dictators who have praised Trump. The White House “ugly art” statement featured on the new statue was issued in response to this one.
The two statues appear to have the same secretive organizers. Both sought and received National Park Service permits for their artworks. Washingtonian obtained paperwork for both installations and observed that they list the same on-site contact, person in charge, and 24-hour security contacts. I heard about this new display through a tip from an odd “Statues Art Project” email address; when I asked to be put in touch with whoever is behind it, the tipster sent me a phone number.
The guy who picked up the phone—he said we can call him James, though that’s not his real name—carefully dodged my questions, keeping himself and his co-organizing friends anonymous. James said that the group of people behind this statue also organized the “dictator-approved” one from last week, though he says the group has no connection to the poop-on-a-desk statue that appeared on the Mall in October and poked fun at January 6 rioters.
James describes this TV statue as a “reaction to [the White House’s] reaction” to last week’s installation. He said organizers embraced the idea of “ugly art,” for this statue, creating “ugliest art that we could think of”—not exactly a compliment to the President’s dance moves.
According to the statue’s permit application, the purpose of the installation is to “demonstrate freedom of speech and artistic expression using political imagery.”
James says he agrees with the sentiment of the White House’s “ugly art” comment. “Even though their comment is really snarky and passive-aggressive, I think this statement is actually kind of a beautiful thing about this country that has rights and norms and other standards of American living seem to be disappearing by the day in this administration.”
The same security guard for the recent statue was on duty when I visited its site Thursday. He wouldn’t say who he worked for. Both statues from this month list Carol Flaisher as the on-site contact on their permits. Flaisher is a veteran DC location manager and producer who has worked on films like Philomena, Wedding Crashers, and True Lies. James says Flaisher has no connection to the statue beyond being hired to help with the permit. Reached by phone, Flaisher declined Washingtonian’s request for comment.
