Art project of world leaders in sex act quickly pulled

  

(12/28/05 - VIENNA, Austria) -- Her Majesty would not have been amused. Neither would President Bush or his French counterpart, Jacques Chirac, over a Vienna-wide art project depicting them naked and engaged in a sexual act with British Queen Elizabeth II.

The work of "euroPART," an independent artists' group, the scenes being displayed on electronic billboards across the Austrian capital were also embarrassing for the government just days before the country assumes the European Union's rotating presidency Sunday.

Austrian media reported that the offending images were yanked Wednesday just a day after they started flashing at motorists on personal orders of Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel. A woman answering the telephone at the chancellor's public information department who refused to identify herself said she could not confirm the report.

Leading opposition party figures suggested Schuessel was at least indirectly responsible, saying the group had received about $1.2 million in government subsidies.

Schuessel spokeswoman Heidi Glueck was quoted by the Austria Press Agency as saying the chancellor had been "unaware" of the subject matter being displayed.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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