Breaking News: Danish Parliamentarians wear 6500 skulls to remember Qatar!

Denmark’s MP’s in photo shoot wearing skull necklace

– now it’s time for soccer players to stand up for workers’ rights.

Former Danish ministers and MPs of all party colours partook - other parliaments and soccer teams might follow

Dear

Wearing a 6500 skull necklace, 30 of Denmark's Members of Parliament (MPs) have chosen to take part in the art event #Qatar6500 – and send a strong critique of the World Cup in Qatar.

Former ministers and members of the ruling party participated, together with MPs from all parts of the political scene in Denmark.

The MPs are sending a strong signal. Their criticism of the creation of the World Cup in Qatar will resonate internationally and not least in Qatar. Says the artist behind the project, Jens Galschiot.

The Pillar of Shame

Danish sculptor Jens Galschiot is most known for The Pillar of Shame - an 8 meter tall memorial to the Tiananmen massacre in Beijing 1989. The sculpture was removed from Hong Kong University and the university refuses to hand the world famous and very costly sculpture over to the artist. Galschiot has started a campaign to get it back. Read more.

The necklace's 6,500 skulls count one for each migrant worker who died during the build-up of the World Cup in Qatar.

Now it's time for soccer players and other parliaments to mark their critique. "I suggest to all national soccer teams , to have a picture taken wearing the skull necklace", says Jens Galschiot and continues "If MPs can participate in a public manifestation, there is no reason why the national teams cannot. This especially goes for the countries that are now out of the tournament and do not risk sanctions from FIFA".

Soccer associations and parliamentarians who want to take part in the artistic statement can contact Galschiot and borrow the necklace with the 6500 skulls for a photo shoot.

In addition to photo-manifestations, Galschiot is looking for someone who can follow up on the original goal of the happening: "I am looking for a high-profile person who will wear the skull necklace on an official visit to Qatar - I have already reached out to many potential bearers, and hope to be contacted by someone who have the courage and determination to make that manifestation."

Danish MP's from portrait (good resolution photos): Astrid Carøe – SF, Bjarne Laustsen – A, Carl Valentin – SF, Christian Juhl – EL, Christina Olumeko – Å, Erling Bonnesen – V, Franciska Rosenkilde – Å, Frederik Vad – A, Helene Liliendahl Brydensholt – Å, Henrik Møller – A, Jette Gottlieb – EL, Jon Stephensen – M, Karsten Hønge – SF, Lars Christian Lilleholt – V, Leila Stockmarr – EL, Lisbeth Bech-Nielsen – SF, Mai Villadsen – EL, Marianne Bigum – SF, Nick Zimmermann – DF, Peder Hvelplund – EL, Pelle Dragsted – EL, Peter Kofod – DF, Pia Olsen Dyhr – SF, Sara Emil Baaring – A, Sascha Faxe – Å, Søren Egge Rasmussen – EL, Søren Søndergaard – EL, Theresa Berg Andersen – SF, Thomas Skriver Jensen – A, Torsten Gejl - Å.

Contact: All Members of the Danish Parliament.

Contact MPs behind the photo shoot:

Contact Ringdal & Kristensen - Radio station co-working about #Qatar6500.
Email: arin@24syv.dk

Contact: Artist Jens Galschiot

Email: aidoh@aidoh.dk – Ph (+45)66184058 / Cell (+45) 4044 7058

Photos, background and more.: (follow link - scroll down).

Documentary from the event (in Danish)

Galschiot making the skull necklace

#QATAR 6500

#QATAR6500 is an art happening. Its center piece is a necklace with 6.500 skulls, and the happening is made as a collaboration between Jens Galschiot and 24syv's radio program Ringdal and Kristensen.

In addition to the necklace, thousands of skull bracelets have been produced, which, in the same way as the necklace, symbolize the dead migrant workers in Qatar.

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Galschiot about the Skull Necklace

The artwork draws on the inspiration of ancient Tibetan traditions using human craniums in jewelry and bracelets. Furthermore, Heavy-metal culture’s bizarre expression and African talisman with magical powers are sources of inspiration.

The result is a piece of jewelry with an almost overwhelming magical radiation. It is a piece that with its powerful expression is impossible to miss and will create remarkable attention in any assembly. The bearer of the chain will be a queen.

The work is made of 6.500 small white craniums of 6x5mm in size and incorporated into this gigantic jewelry chain. Each cranium is referring to an individual out of the 6.500 persons that have died in relation to the constructions of stadiums etc. for the World Cup 2022 in Qatar. The chain with the thousands of small craniums is joined together by four bigger craniums in bronze. They are made in hand in wax and with the use of a 7.000 old technique named “cire pedu” they are transformed over into bronze.

The four unique craniums give with their occult looks a framing of the chain and pinpoint and create its magical and beautiful expression.

The necklace is a unique piece made to be carried during the World Cup 2022 of Qatar in order to emphasize the incredible human costs it has had to place the World Cup in a country that doesn’t treat human life with basic universal fairness. Worker’s rights and legal equality have been neglected and 6.500 immigrants’ lives spend to build the infrastructure for the event.

It is the hope that the bearer of the necklace will use it to stress this point.

- Jens Galschiot

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About Jens Galschiot:

Danish artist Jens Galschiot has created many socio-critical sculptures and installations through the years. Most often they are placed in public spaces around the world – as needle-sticks and silent reminders of a world that, in his opinion, is out of balance, and where exploitation of the world’s resources, inequality and migration are a constant part of the picture.

"Internationally, Galschiot could be characterized as one of the most significant Danish artists of late modernity (after 1980). His artistic production covers a wide field of expression; from jewellery and small dainty figures to gigantic, politically emphatic sculptures. He is among the best-known Danish artists abroad. His reputation extends from Hong Kong, and Mexico to Germany, Spain, and the U.S.A. Apart from clothing sculptures Jens Galschiot creates international happenings to highlight the present imbalance of the world." Bruun Rasmussen’s Art-Auction

General information about Galschiot:

Galschiot making the skull necklace