Washington, D.C. – A gold-colored television set, in the middle of the National Mall, between Capitol Hill and the White House. It’s no ordinary screen, but an art installation – one that has thrown the political heart of the United States into uproar. On a continuous loop, the device plays a video of Donald Trump dancing next to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Shoulder to shoulder, in sync like a poorly rehearsed music video – yet razor-sharp in its message. The title of the piece? “Shimmy of Shame.” The artists behind the installation remain unknown. What is clear: the creators have been granted permission for the work to remain on display through Sunday. That didn’t stop the outrage from erupting. The White House said it was “absolutely fuming” over the “shameless spectacle” and is considering legal action. Press secretary Abigail Jackson stated that it was a “political smear without artistic value” and a “deliberate defamation of the president by extremist circles.”
But the outrage is legally futile. The installation is officially registered and protected under the rights to free speech and artistic expression. Just last week, a sculpture titled “Dictator Approved,” portraying Trump in the style of authoritarian leaders, sparked fierce debate. Now comes the next act of an artistic production that presents the president not as a savior, but as part of an abyss many have long sought to forget – his longtime association with Jeffrey Epstein.
The scene is a provocation – deliberately chosen, carefully staged. The golden color of the TV evokes Trump’s love of glitz and glamor, the video recalls the infamous clip from the 1990s in which Trump and Epstein are seen partying together, laughing, surrounded by young women. Back then, it was dismissed as a triviality – today, it becomes a symbol of a toxic era in which power, wealth, and impunity formed a dangerous alliance. The appearance of the artwork at this particular moment is no accident. The Epstein debate has returned to the headlines, with new revelations and links between the late financier, tech billionaires, and politicians casting long shadows over the political establishment. And Trump, who often portrays himself as the victim of conspiracies, is confronted by works like this with a past that cannot be tweeted away. The installation is not an attack – it is a reminder. Of what was. And of what continues to be suppressed. In the midst of an election campaign increasingly marked by fear, regression, and a cult of personality, the image of Trump dancing next to Epstein becomes a grotesque mirror – a society that would rather dance with its darkest chapters than confront them. Whether the installation will remain in place through Sunday is uncertain. But its impact has already taken hold. It forces a reckoning – not only with a president, but with the moral condition of a nation.
(Photos © The Kaizen Blog)
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