Suddenly, everyone's talking about Europe! The reason: controversy around David Cerny's sculpture Entropa, installed by the Czech EU Council presidency in the Brussels office building that houses the Council.

Ostensibly the work of a pan-European collective (but actually by David Cerny and a couple of collaborators), Entropa plays with and pokes fun at stereotypes about the various EU member states. A militant work, Entropa shows that "stereotypes are barriers to be demolished", and echoes the motto of the Czech presidency, "a Europe without barriers".

Entropa is about more than variety or difference or barriers. It also exemplifies values held throughout Europe. As Cerny wrote in the exhibit's catalogue:

"Self-reflection, critical thinking and capacity to perceive oneself as well as the outside world with a sense of irony are the hallmarks of European thinking."

Entropa has struck a responsive chord among European art lovers: according to a survey by the Cezch presidency, 79% of respondents like the installation. Not bad for a piece of protest art.

Those who don't like Entropa aren't shy about voicing their displeasure. A dust-up over the part of the sculpture representing Bulgaria –as a collection of Turkish toilets– led to the offending part of the work being draped by a black cloak or veil.

This apparently has not calmed some leading Bulgarians. For example, Bulgarian National Bank Governor Ivan Iskov publicly and officially threatened to boycott official EU business:

"In relation to the preposterous and offending to the Bulgarian national dignity depiction of Bulgaria at the Enthropa [sic] exhibition under the auspices of the Czech presidency of the EU, BNB Governor Ivan Iskov asked the Governor of the Czech National Bank, Zdenek Tuma, to use his high personal and professional reputation to support within his powers our request this offensive symbol to be removed […]. Governor Iskrov informed his Czech counterpart that otherwise he would not be able to attend the meeting of the Council of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of EU Member States to take place in Prague on 3-4 April 2009."

Writing in the exhibit's catalogue, such a reaction was precisely what the artist, "Elena Jelebova" (David Cerny?) intended:

"For me, our project is an opportunity to cope with false patriotism and find relief from the destitution of Bulgarian material and spiritual life. Not least, it is sure to upset a lot of people, and that is also what I am aiming for — to create a scandal, especially at home."

Bulgarians generally approach Entropa in Cerny's spirit. I can't read a single word of Bulgarian and have not found much press coverage from Bulgaria in a language I do understand, but I did take note of a summary of in-depth coverage in 24 Chasa reported on the news.bg site:

"According to the daily, the veil creates a higher artistic allegory and the installation has turned into a symbol of Bulgarian corruption."

At the end of the day, I'd place greater stock in Cerny than in certain leaders of Bulgaria, which aims among other things to join the Euro zone.