After golden wing

Sobotka leaves behind an expensive “farewell gift”

"Arm-leg" (left) and "leg-leg" (right) will greet visitors to Parliament in future.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Leserreporter/Fabian, APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER, Krone KREATIV)

After renting a golden grand piano for a lot of money in his role as President of the National Council two years ago, Wolfgang Sobotka is now once again putting his artistic stamp on the House as a kind of farewell gift. And it costs a lot again.

The outgoing President of the National Council, Wolfgang Sobotka, is said to have a certain artistic passion. In this case, however, it is not so much a musical pleasure, but Sobotka is entering the realm of the visual arts with one of his last formative decisions this time. 

Farewell costs 240,000 euros
As the parliamentary administration confirmed to krone.at, Sobotka only had two sculptures from the "Skins" series by the well-known Austrian artist Erwin Wurm purchased in his function on Tuesday. How much does it cost? 120,000 euros per sculpture, i.e. a total of 240,000 euros - excluding VAT, of course - paid for by parliament and therefore by the taxpayers.

"Arm-Leg" (left) and "Leg-Leg" (right) will greet visitors to Parliament in future.

(Bild: zVg, Krone KREATIV)

Sobotka takes off his hat - and says goodbye with an artistic bang.

(Bild: picturedesk.com/helmut graf / Heute / picturedesk.com)

As first reported by "Newsflix", this was a solo effort by Sobotka. "The purchase of these sculptures is covered by the formal decision-making framework of the President of the National Council," explained the Parliamentary Administration. Sobotka has neither consulted a curator nor referred the matter to the presidency. It is no longer possible to withdraw: "The purchase has been contractually agreed and is legally effective."

Erwin Wurm's "Skins" series

In Erwin Wurm, Sobotka has chosen a very well-known artist. His "Skins" series represents an exciting development in his already multifaceted oeuvre. Wurm, known for his humorous and provocative sculptures, which often focus on the human body, turns to a new aspect in this series: the skin as surface and boundary.

The series thus addresses the boundaries between body and clothing, inside and outside, deformation and identity and invites viewers to reflect on their own physicality and self-perception.

Questionable how long works of art remain in parliament
From now on, "leg-leg" and "arm-leg", as the creator has named his works, will adorn the entrances in front of the columned hall. For how long, however, is probably written in the stars, as it is up to the President of the National Council to decide what to do with the artworks in the coming legislative periods.

... 120,000 euros (excluding VAT) in front of the columned hall.

(Bild: Leserreporter/Fabian)

120,000 euros (excluding VAT) will be added to further ...

(Bild: Leserreporter/Fabian)

Sobotka's successor - in all probability Walter Rosenkranz - could bring with him a different taste in art, and the sculptures could disappear again quite quickly.

Memories of the golden wing
This is not the first time that Sobotka has brought his personal taste into the House. As recently as 2022, there was great excitement when he rented a golden Bösendorfer grand piano worth around 200,000 euros - which was also on display for visitors in the newly renovated Hall of Columns. However, the contract has since been terminated and the piano removed.

At the time, critics saw the investment as a waste of taxpayers' money in view of tight budgets and public austerity measures. Sobotka himself defended the purchase as a cultural investment in order to use the parliament as a venue for events. However, there is still no official statement on his new purchase.