A mermaid statue erected in Denmark has become embroiled in controversy over its suggestiveness and is ultimately being dismantled.
According to the Guardian on the 4th (local time), the Danish Palace and Cultural Agency decided to remove the mermaid statue named 'The Little Mermaid' located in front of the Dragør Fortress near Copenhagen, citing that it is not in harmony with the cultural heritage fortress.
This statue, standing 4 meters tall, has faced criticism for being suggestive due to its prominent chest, unlike the famous bronze statue of the Little Mermaid on the Copenhagen beach.
Mathias Krieger, an art critic at the Danish daily Politiken, pointed out that the statue is "ugly and obscene."
Søren Gotfrelsen, a clergyman and journalist, noted in a daily newspaper that "erecting a statue that embodies the image of a woman dreamed of by men does not help many women accept their bodies."
"I feel like I could choke because of the overpowering body installed in public spaces," he continued, adding that "the fact that many people find the statue vulgar and undesirable is hopeful."
On the other hand, Peter Beck, the creator of the statue, expressed that he could not understand such criticisms, stating that "the chest of the statue is proportional to the overall size."
Some argue that the criticism of the statue being suggestive reflects society's undesirable attitude toward women's bodies.
Aminata Kor Tran, an editor at the local daily Berlingske, questioned, "Does the naked woman's breast have to possess certain academic forms and sizes to appear before the public?" He argued that meticulously examining a woman's body to pinpoint flaws is fundamentally wrong.
He added, "While this statue is somewhat less naked compared to other famous mermaid statues, it has a larger chest, which is probably what has caused the issue."
Meanwhile, this statue was installed on the Langelinie coast of Copenhagen in 2006. Since then, local residents have criticized it as a "vulgar fake mermaid" and it was removed in 2018 and relocated to the Dragør Fortress.
After the Danish Palace and Cultural Agency requested its removal last March, the creator Beck suggested donating the statue to Dragør. However, the Dragør municipality reportedly rejected this, citing that it takes up too much space.