Santa Claus (sculpture)

Santa Claus, popularly known as the Buttplug Gnome, is a 2001 statue by artist Paul McCarthy in the Eendrachtsplein square of Rotterdam, The Netherlands.^[1]

Originally made for the International Sculpture Collection, its intended location was outside the De Doelen concert hall. However, it has been located in various places – including the courtyard of the Boijmans Museum – but was moved due to protests from local businesses.^[2] Officially, the work represents Santa Claus holding a Christmas tree in his hands, but the artist has implied that it could also represent a buttplug, stating, "...For me, the sculpture is also about the consumer community - as a commentary on material consumption in the Western world."^[3] A red version was unveiled in May 2018 in Oslo, Norway. The unveiling was performed by a man, suspended by an overhead crane with hooks through his skin, who pulled off the cover.^[4]