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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The Independent
an hour ago
- 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.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- 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.
Telegraph
8 hours ago
- Telegraph
Denmark to tear down Copenhagen's ‘pornographic' mermaid statue
A statue of a mermaid with big breasts is to be removed from its location in Copenhagen after complaints that it is 'pornographic' and vulgar. The 13ft-tall Big Mermaid has been described as 'a man's hot dream of what a woman should look like', and its breasts have been the subject of controversy for years. It was unveiled in 2006 at a location a few hundred yards from the famous statue of The Little Mermaid, on Langelinie Pier. After complaints that the bigger mermaid was too sexualised, it was transferred in 2018 to Dragør Fort, part of Copenhagen's former sea fortifications, which lies several miles south of the city. Now, the Danish agency for palaces and culture is reportedly preparing to remove it altogether, saying that it does not fit with the cultural heritage of the fort, which dates back to 1910. Peter Bech, a Danish restaurateur who designed and commissioned Big Mermaid, said he could not understand what all the fuss was about, insisting that its breasts were a 'proportional size'. 'The mermaid has completely normal proportions in relation to her size. Of course the breasts are big on a big woman,' Mr Bech told Danish broadcaster, TV 2 Kosmopol. He argued that the statue attracts tourists, that criticism of it was 'pure nonsense' and added that he hoped a compromise could be reached so it could stay. Mathias Kryger, art critic for the newspaper Politiken, described Big Mermaid as 'pornographic'. Another journalist, Sorine Gotfredsen, 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.' Other critics said the proportions of the mermaid amount to body-shaming for the majority of ordinary women.
