Putting a price on art

Date: 29/02/1996

Those drab sculptures which give people something to talk about as they walk along the corridor between the European Parliament's Belliard and Espace Leopold buildings could be on the move.

Officials are getting fed up with constant criticisms of the artistic merit of the 12 tin creations, donated by Spanish sculptor Cristobal Gabarron (perhaps, cynics suggested, because he could not find anyone else who would take them). There were derogatory comments, too, about the titles of the works - so much so that the College of Quaestors has instructed the Directorate-General for information to remove all named references to the member states which each creation is supposed to represent and also accompanying comments which have been deemed unsuitable.

The big question now is just where to put the pieces, and the Quaestors have invited Parliament departments to submit ideas.

A lot of the complaints will probably disappear when people realise that not only were they provided free, but that they are worth 3.2 million ecu. Entre Nous suggests leaving them where they are, but with the price pinned to the wall. That might make commuters moving between the two buildings treat them with a bit more reverence.