The London Museum will soon have a new show that recognizes Trump’s presidency – and his controversy. The museum acquired the “Trump Baby” balloon, which flew in protests around the world.
Trump Baby was created in 2018 by British artist Matthew Bonner and flew for the first time over Parliament Square in London during a 2018 demonstration against President Trump’s visit to the UK, the London Museum said in a press release .
From the balloon first flight was approved by London Mayor Sadiq Khan after more than 10,000 people signed a petition and more than 1,000 people raised more than $ 20,000 through a crowdfunding campaign.
The balloon made appearances at demonstrations in cities around the world, including in Florida in 2019 when Mr. Trump held a rally there after announcing that he had moved his residence from New York to the State of the Sun.
Patrick Semansky / AP
Since 2019, the London Museum has hoped to acquire the balloon, which looks like a comic version of Trump wearing a diaper and an angry frown.
“Having traveled the world, the Trump Baby airship is now going to its final resting place, the London Museum, where it will be conserved and potentially displayed in the future new museum home in West Smithfield for years to come,” said the museum in its Press release.
Trump Baby will be exhibited with the museum’s protest collection. Objects related to the suffrage movement and the belongings of Brian Haw, who used to actively protest outside the Houses of Parliament, are also featured in the collection, said the London Museum.
In a statement, the director of the London Museum, Sharon Ament, called London “an open and constantly evolving polyglot city”.
“From early 20th century suffragettes to anti-austerity marches, freedom of speech and black lives are more important recently – the capital has always been the place to say,” continued Ament. “By collecting the baby airship, we can mark the wave of feeling that took over the city that day and capture a particular moment of resistance – a feeling that is still relevant today, as we live in these exceptionally challenging times – that, ultimately, shows Londoners. uniting in the face of extreme adversity. “
The Trump Baby team said this is not the end of the symbol’s story. “We hope the baby’s place in the museum will be a reminder of when London took a stand against Trump – but it will take those who come to examine how they can continue to fight hate policy,” he said. “Above all, we hope that Trump Baby will serve as a reminder of the resistance policy that occurred during Trump’s tenure.”
ALKIS KONSTANTINIDIS / REUTERS
“This large inflatable was just a small part of a global movement – a movement led by marginalized people whose Trump policy threatened the most – and whose role at this point should never be underestimated,” the team’s statement continued.
Trump’s presidency will end on Wednesday, January 20, when former vice president Joe Biden takes office as president and former senator Kamala Harris takes office as vice president.
The end of Trump’s term was marked by a second impeachment for inciting an insurrection in the United States Capitol that left five people dead, consolidating his place in history as the only president to be impeached twice, in a bipartisan rebuke that was passed with unprecedented speed.