Bulgaria, depicted as a toilet, was given a cloth cover-up Tuesday in "Entropa," an artistic rendition of the European Union now hanging in Brussels.

ADVERTISEMENT

The 8-ton sculpture is the work of Czech artist David Cerny. It is scheduled to hang in EU headquarters through June and then be moved to Prague for six months on display there, The Times of London reported.

"It is a pity that it was not understood as a joke," Cerny said. "I don't know if you can call it censorship, I think it is oversensitivity,"

The black covering for the Bulgarian section of the work appeared after the government in Sofia lodged a formal protest with the union.

The work has upset other governments, too, including Czechoslovakia. President Vaclav Klaus has sent a protest to the EU president -- which happens to be Czechoslovakia.

The Czech government commissioned the work, which was supposed to include contributions from artists in every EU member. Cerny, instead, put together "Entropa" with a little help from his friends and has promised to pay back about $70,000 in public funds.