Two Roma beggars from Romania are ‘live exhibits’ at an art installation in Sweden.

They have been paid to sit and stand in silence with a paper cup in front of them at Malmö art gallery in Sweden, reports The Local.

The two Romanians, who are a couple, are not allowed to talk to visitors. Luca Lacatus and Marcella Cheresi sit in the art gallery, dressed in thick clothes.

The project’s organizers spotted them on the streets of Malmö and decided to turn them into an exhibit designed to encourage Swedes on growing inequality in their country.

The project triggered some controversies, many critics accusing the gallery of "objectifying" poverty.

“This is a touchy subject that causes strong reactions, so I'm not particularly surprised by the massive criticism," Erika Li Lundqvist, a press officer for the project, told The Local.

The Roma couple gets the same hourly payment as everyone else working on the project and are set to take home around USD 606.

The Romanians told the newspaper Fria Tigningar that they would use the money to build a new house in Romania, as the old one burned down.

Read the whole story here.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Malmö Konsthall Facebook Page)