The sculptures by Erwin Wurm, which Wolfgang Sobotka bought for 240,000 euros, were only on display in parliament for a short time. His successor Walter Rosenkranz (FPÖ) is particularly angry because he has to go it alone – he now wants to ‘advise’ how things should proceed.
On Friday, Rosenkranz described the fact that former President of the National Council Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP) had ordered two sculptures by the artist Erwin Wurm on behalf of Parliament before his departure as a “surprise gift”.
“Look how this gift came about”
“What bothers him most is the way the purchase came about: “I absolutely do not want to doubt the quality of the artist and the works of art. But what I want to look at is how this surprise gift came about.”
“Because it was probably an arbitrary decision. I will therefore calmly review the contracts with my colleagues in the Executive Board, then discuss them and announce a decision. We will mainly look at the issue of single-handedness.”
Sculptures cost 240,000 euros
The costs of the two sculptures in particular have been causing a lot of commotion since Thursday. The artist charged 120,000 euros per figure, but that does not include sales tax. This will be paid by Parliament from the renovation budget. Sobotka bought the two factories in his role as chairman of the National Council without consulting his own committee.
The ÖVP justified the controversial purchase by Erwin Wurm, who had confronted Parliament on the price. Moreover, less money was budgeted for art and culture than the Bundestag has available in Germany. Sobotka also assumes that the value of the works will increase in the future.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
