According to France24, this is a replacement for the first wooden statue that was burned and destroyed before.
The true-sized bronze statue was erected on a tree trunk, placed in a private field near Sevnica since 2020. The work was done by American artist Brad Downey, as part of an art project inspired by Mrs. Melania Trump. The statue was erected at the end of President Donald Trump's first term, in the context of his campaign for re-election.
According to police and artist Downey himself, the statue had its ankle cut off and was taken away from the scene. Alenka police spokesman Drenik Rangus said the theft was reported on May 13. Immediately afterwards, the authorities arrived at the scene to conduct an investigation.
Downey said he received the theft while preparing for a new project in Germany.
I felt a little sad when it went missing, he told AFP, expressing suspicion the incident could be related to Donald Trumps new election.
Initially, the statue of Mrs. Melania was carved with a sawing chain from the trunk by local artist Ales Zupevc, depicting her in a blue dress and high heels. After the wood version was burned down, Downey felt "not good" and decided to replace it with a bronze version, fixed with concrete and metal bars.
Melania Trump left Slovenia before becoming a US citizen and entered the White House with her husband, President Donald Trump. Although he once raised hopes about Mr. Trump's ability to visit his wife's hometown, that trip never came true.
In Sevnica, about 90 km east of the capital Ljubljana, Melania's image has become a source of inspiration for many local products such as cakes and chocolate named after her.
