Paris Soir - Sculpture of Trump strapped to a cross displayed in Switzerland

The work, by British artist Mason Storm and titled "Saint or Sinner", depicts the US president in prison garb with his eyes closed and his body laid out on a slightly tilted, padded white cross, evoking a possible crucifixion -- or an execution by lethal injection.

It has been on display in the northern Swiss city of Basel since Saturday, after a showing earlier this year in Vienna.

"It is scary realistic," said Konrad Breznik, owner of the Gleis 4 gallery displaying the piece.

"When we installed it, we came that close, and you would see every wrinkle and the skin is so realistic, it's really scary," he told AFP.

The gallery had initially aimed to show the work at its premises at the Basel central train station starting in September.

But it ultimately abandoned that plan in favour of a less-crowded space, mounting the sculpture in a showcase window on Basler Kunstmeile, a pedestrian walkway in the heart of Basel.

Electronic counters have recorded more than 3,000 people passing by on Monday alone.

- Sign of 'democracy' -

As AFP looked on Tuesday, many passers-by stopped to smile at the artwork, but no one expressed outrage.

"It's a sign that we have democracy... that we are allowed to show things like this," Marit, a Norwegian national living in Basel, told AFP.

Asked if she thought the piece could have been shown in the United States, she said: "I don't think so, no."

Breznik said he believed the US president might actually appreciate the piece.

"I do absolutely think that Mr Trump might see himself very well in the role of a modern Jesus," he said.

"I'm pretty sure he is very much convinced that he is doing the right thing."

Mason Storm, an anonymous London artist known for hyper-realistic yet unconventional street art-inspired sculptures and canvases, conceals his face behind balaclavas or masks of his own design.

His often provocative works, which poke fun at hypocrisies found in modern society, is often compared to those of his famous compatriot Banksy.

On his Instagram account, he describes himself as "the artist people love to love and love to hate, international Bon viveur pusher of pigment and a doer of deeds".

Long before "Saint or Sinner" arrived in Basel, the work was acquired by a collector: an "internationally renowned figure living in Europe", whose name will remain confidential, according to the gallery.

R.Poirier--PS