A 10-foot golden trophy made by the anonymous Washington, D.C.-based arts activist group Secret Handshake is officially going on tour. The satirical piece of protest art originally appeared on the National Mall three weeks ago, and later moved to Foley Square in Lower Manhattan. On Wednesday it’s scheduled to pop up in Minneapolis, a representative for the group wrote to The Times in an email, noting that Secret Handshake recently started an Instagram page that will post updates about where and when the trophy will appear next.
The trophy is touring with a sign inviting passersby and members of the public to leave their own handmade trophies “for the President to claim as his own.”
A plaque traveling with the trophy provides a possible blueprint: “We hereby award President Donald J. Trump this participation trophy for his enthusiastic involvement in the Iran War. While some concern themselves with military strategy, diplomacy or measurable outcomes, President Trump demonstrated the courage to participate regardless of the final score.”
“We were really impressed with the way people in D.C. customized their own trophies and certificates and awards and left them at the base of the statue to become a part of this, so we want to give more people an opportunity to be a part of that,” the representative wrote about the decision to take the trophy on the road.
The sculpture’s surprise appearance in New York City prompted additional headlines and interest in the group and its work.
“This is our first time doing something in New York, but the opportunity to set the participation trophy up in Lower Manhattan — just steps away from where the President was previously prosecuted — felt like a really relevant image,” the rep wrote. “Plus, it’s New York. If you participate here, you can participate anywhere.”
The rep confirmed that — after its stop in Minneapolis — Secret Handshake plans to bring the sculpture to other cities soon, adding that L.A. “would be amazing.”
Secret Handshake made national headlines last September when the National Park Service toppled a statue it had erected titled “Best Friends Forever,” which featured President Trump gleefully holding hands with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Secret Handshake had obtained the necessary permits to display the statue and the group was allowed to reinstall it after repairing the damage that was done when it was removed.
The group is responsible for more than half a dozen other satirical statues — all of which, until now, have appeared exclusively in Washington, D.C. After “Best Friends Forever,” Secret Handshake created another statue featuring Trump and Epstein — this time re-creating the iconic bow-of-the-ship scene from “Titanic.” It also made a giant replica of the Trump-Epstein birthday card that viewers were encouraged to sign, as well as a playable video game about the Iran war called “Operation Epic Furious.”
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