Denmark to remove 'pornographic' mermaid statue because 'breasts are too big'
Danish officials are set to remove a "pornographic" mermaid statue due to her breasts appearing to be too large.
The Danish agency for palaces and culture is reportedly preparing to remove the 4x6 metre Big Mermaid from Dragør Fort, in the greater Copenhagen area, as it does not match the cultural heritage of the iconic 1910 state. The Big Mermaid was unveiled at the Langelinie Pier in Copenhagen, close to the Little Mermaid landmark.
It was removed in 2018 following complaints from locals who branded it "the fake and vulgar mermaid." It was later moved to Dragør Fort until the Danish agency for palaces and culture intervened earlier this year and demanded its removal. It comes after news that an abandoned UK Butlin's site is now seaside town's 'hell hole' hotel.
Art critic Mathias Kryger called the statue "ugly and pornographic," reports the Guardian. Sorine Gotfredsen, a priest and journalist, said in the Danish outlet Berlingske: "Erecting a statue of a man's hot dream of what a woman should look like is unlikely to promote many women's acceptance of their own bodies."
She continued: "It's truly uplifting that many find the statue vulgar, unpoetic, and undesirable, because we're suffocating in overbearing bodies in public space." The artist behind the 14-tonne statue said he does not understand the criticism levelled against it and said its breasts are "of a proportional size" to its scale.
Others noted criticisms reflect society's attitude toward women's bodies in general. Aminata Corr Throne, the debate editor of Berlingske, the scrutiny of the mermaid's breasts was akin to body shaming. She said: "Do naked female breasts have to have a specific academic shape and size to be allowed to appear in public?"
While the Big Mermaid mermaid was less naked than her bronze counterpart, Corr Throne continued: "On the other hand, she has bigger breasts, and that's probably where the problem lies.
"Perhaps the two statues – the Big and the Little Mermaid – represent two sides of woman, and the eternal tug of war about what a real woman is. And perhaps even what a wrong woman is."
Dragør chair of the climate, urban and business committee, told the outlet that despite Bech's offer to donate it as a gift "it's just hard to fit it in. It takes up a lot of space."
Bech said he created the statue in response to tourists stating the Little Mermaid was too small. He claims people in Dragør that they love the sculpture and that he is hoping to find a way to keep it in the town.
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