Latest news with #DragørFort
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Denmark to reportedly remove ‘ugly and pornographic' mermaid statue
A debate has erupted in Denmark over the fate of a mermaid statue that is to be removed from public view after being decried as 'ugly and pornographic' and 'a man's hot dream of what a woman should look like'. The Danish agency for palaces and culture is reportedly removing the 4x6 metre Den Store Havfrue (the Big Mermaid) from Dragør Fort, part of Copenhagen's former sea fortifications, because it does not align with the cultural heritage of the 1910 landmark. Politiken's art critic, Mathias Kryger, has branded the statue 'ugly and pornographic'. Sorine Gotfredsen, a priest and journalist, wrote in the newspaper 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 added: 'It's truly uplifting that many find the statue vulgar, unpoetic, and undesirable, because we're suffocating in overbearing bodies in public space.' The man behind the 14-tonne sculpture, Peter Bech, has said he does not understand the criticism, saying that the stone figure's breasts are simply 'of a proportional size' to its scale. Others have said the criticism reflects society's attitudes to women's bodies more generally – and not in a good way. For Aminata Corr Thrane, Berlingske's debate editor, the scrutiny of the mermaid's breasts was tantamount to body shaming. 'Do naked female breasts have to have a specific academic shape and size to be allowed to appear in public?' she wrote. Noting that the Big Mermaid was 'arguably a bit less naked' than her famed petite contemporary in bronze and granite, the Little Mermaid, Corr Thrane added: 'On the other hand, she has bigger breasts, and that's probably where the problem lies.' She added: '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.' In 2006 the Big Mermaid was erected at Langelinie Pier in Copenhagen, near the Little Mermaid. But it was removed in 2018 after locals denounced it as 'the fake and vulgar mermaid'. It was subsequently moved to Dragør Fort, until the Danish agency for palaces and culture intervened in March, requesting its removal. Dragør municipality has since reportedly declined Bech's offer of donating it as a gift. Helle Barth, chair of Dragør muncipality's climate, urban and business committee, told Berlingske that although it was a nice offer, 'it's just hard to fit in. It takes up a lot of space.' Bech, who has said he made the statue in response to tourists' comments that the Little Mermaid – inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale – was too small, has said he is often told by people in Dragør that they love his sculpture. He is hoping to find a way to keep it in the town. The Danish agency for palaces and culture declined to comment.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Why a row has broken out over a ‘pornographic' statue
A large mermaid statue in Denmark, known as the 'Big Mermaid', is scheduled for removal from public view following criticism describing it as 'ugly and pornographic'. The 13ft tall statue, unveiled in Copenhagen in 2006 and later moved to Dragør Fort in 2018, has long been controversial due to its exaggerated figure and large breasts. Denmark's agency for palaces and culture concluded that the statue does not align with the cultural heritage of the 1910-era fort, prompting its decision for removal. Journalist Sorine Gotfredsen described the statue as 'a man's hot dream of what a woman should look like', while art critic Mathias Kryger labelled it 'ugly and pornographic'. Peter Bech, the statue's designer, defended his creation, asserting that the breasts are a 'proportional size' for a large woman and that the artwork attracts tourists.
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘Ugly and pornographic' Big Mermaid statue to be removed from Danish heritage landmark
A statue of a mermaid is set to be removed from outside a heritage landmark in Copenhagen following criticism of its 'ugly and pornographic' appearance. The Den Store Havfrue – the Big Mermaid – was first erected at Langelinie Pier in the Danish capital in 2006, near its famed Little Mermaid counterpart. After locals denounced it as 'the fake and vulgar mermaid' in 2018, the 14-tonne (14,000kg) sculpture was relocated to Dragør Fort, which served as one of Copenhagen's sea fortifications in 1910. The Big Mermaid's days outside the fort are numbered, according to a report by The Guardian, following public fury concerned with the size of the statue's breasts. '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,' priest and journalist Sorine Gotfredsen wrote in Danish newspaper Berlingske. 'It's truly uplifting that many find the statue vulgar, unpoetic, and undesirable, because we're suffocating in overbearing bodies in public space.' Art critic at Danish daily newspaper Politiken, Mathias Kryger, deemed the statue 'ugly and pornographic'. The sculpture – designed and commissioned by Peter Bech – will now be removed from the site by the Danish agency for palaces and culture because of its failure to align with the Dragør Fort's cultural heritage. Asked about the furore, Mr Bech reportedly told Berlingske that the mermaid's breasts are 'of proportional size' to its four-by-six-metre scale. The paper's debate editor, Aminata Corr Thrane, similarly argued that the scrutiny of the mermaid's breasts was an act of body shaming. 'Do naked female breasts have to have a specific academic shape and size to be allowed to appear in public?' Ms Corr Thrane wrote, pointing out that the statue was 'arguably a bit less naked' than the Little Mermaid. '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.' Mr Bech's statue 'was meant to be big in contrast to the famous Little Mermaid', author Philip Jepsen wrote on 'but it never achieved the iconic status and stature of the smaller famous sculpture, or recognition as great art'. The latter, which is made of bronze and granite and was created by Edvard Eriksen in 1913, is based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale of the same name, and is arguably one of Denmark's most famous landmarks.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Denmark to remove ‘ugly and pornographic' mermaid statue after complaints, reports say
A large statue of a mermaid in Denmark is set to be removed from public view after critics described it as 'ugly and pornographic' and a 'man's hot dream of what a woman should look like'. The 13ft tall Big Mermaid statue was originally unveiled in Copenhagen in 2006, just a few hundred yards from the famous statue of the Little Mermaid. It has caused controversy for years due to its exaggerated figure and large breasts. In 2018, it was moved to Dragør Fort, which lies several miles south of the city. Denmark's agency for palaces and culture is now preparing to remove the statue altogether, according to local media. The agency is said to have concluded that the mermaid figure does not fit with the cultural heritage of the fort, which dates back to 1910. The Independent has reached out to the agency for comment. Politiken's art critic, Mathias Kryger, called the statue 'ugly and pornographic' in comments reported by The Guardian. Journalist Sorine Gotfredsen also described the statue as 'a man's hot dream of what a woman should look like' in Danish newspaper Berlingske, adding it was 'unlikely to promote many women's acceptance of their own bodies.' The newspaper's debate editor, Aminata Corr Thrane, said that the scrutiny faced by the statue was akin to body shaming. 'Do naked female breasts have to have a specific academic shape and size to be allowed to appear in public?' she wrote. Peter Bech, the man who designed and commissioned the statue, has fought back at criticism, insisting that the breasts are a 'proportional size'. He told Danish broadcaster, TV 2 Kosmopol: 'The mermaid has completely normal proportions in relation to her size. Of course the breasts are big on a big woman.' He added that the statue attracts tourists and slammed criticism as 'pure nonsense' as he hoped a compromise could be reached. Mr Bech reportedly offered to donate the statue to the fort itself, to which Helle Barth, chair of Dragør muncipality's climate, urban and business committee, told Berlingske: 'It's just hard to fit in. It takes up a lot of space.' Copenhagen is famous for its statue of The Little Mermaid, a bronze statue unveiled in 1913 by Edvard Eriksen, depicting a mermaid becoming human in homage to Danish author Hans Christian Anderson.
The Sun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘Ugly & pornographic' 14-tonne mermaid statue to be torn down in Denmark in row over her ‘vulgar' boobs
A 14-tonne statue dubbed "ugly and pornographic" will be torn down in Denmark after a major row over her "vulgar" boobs. The enormous stone figure - known as the Big Mermaid - will be removed from Copenhagen's landmark sea fortification, Dragør Fort, after causing a massive stir. 1 The Danish Palaces and Culture Agency stated the statue does not "fit into the cultural-historical environment" of the 1910 landmark. This comes as dozens of locals blasted the sculpture's design, with one art critic calling the mermaid "ugly and pornographic". While, one journalist fumed the figure was a product of a "man's hot dream". She said: '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 added: '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 statue, Peter Bech, hit back at criticism calling the breasts "proportional" to the size of the woman. He said many visitors told him they loved the sculpture so he is trying to find a way of keeping it in the town. Others fumed the scrutiny she was receiving was much the same as body shaming. The statue was installed in 2006 at Langelinie Pier in Copenhagen, near the existing Little Mermaid statue but was relocated some years later after locals raged it was "fake and vulgar". Dragør municipality has reportedly declined Peter's offer of donating the mermaid as a gift, reports the Guardian. Shock moment tourist jumps railing and plunges 18ft into Terracotta Army pit before smashing two priceless statues Landmark boss Helle Barth said: "it's just hard to fit in. It takes up a lot of space.' Elsewhere in the UK, a public sculpture of a snail was likened to a "giant poo emoji" and branded a huge waste of public money. The Periwinkle Shelter sculpture, which cost £6k and was woven from willow branches, is designed to imitate the tiny sea snail. It was unveiled at Earnley Viewpoint at Medmerry Nature Reserve, near Chichester. But visitors say the 4.5 metre sculpture resembles a "giant poo emoji" and have slammed it as a waste of taxpayers' money. Solly Everett said: "The idea of marking the rich coastal heritage of the south coast with a giant poo emoji is hilarious. "But given the amount of raw sewage in the sea these day perhaps it is entirely appropriate. Metalworkers reveal Molly Malone needs 'urgent' care after 'daily abuse' as Dublin City Council call for landmark revamp AN inspection of Dublin's famous statue of Molly Malone discovered it was not just her bosom that was in distress but that the entire sculpture was unstable with multiple broken fittings. A report by expert metalworkers explained how two of the pins that held Molly in place were completely destroyed. This had happened 'from the abuse she [was] receiving on a daily basis' according to records released by Dublin City Council. The inspection showed the statue on Grafton Street was now held in place only by two fixing pins underneath the wheels of her cart. An email said: 'The two fixing pins below her body have come loose or have cracked. 'As a matter of urgency, these pins need to be rewelded or replaced but to do that, the stone facing around the plinth will have to be removed so we can get at the pins.' The inspection took place after Dublin City Council decided Molly Malone needed a revamp because of ongoing damage to her bosom area. The statue's ample cleavage was often groped by visitors snapping photographs and had led to noticeable discolouration of the bronze on her chest.
