A 14-tonne mermaid statue in Copenhagen is set to be removed after being criticised as 'ugly and pornographic'. The Danish Agency for Palaces and Culture has requested the removal of the sculpture, known as Den Store Havfrue (the Big Mermaid), from Dragør Fort, part of the city's former sea fortifications.
The statue, measuring 4 by 6 metres, has sparked debate over its depiction of the female body. Politiken's art critic Mathias Kryger branded it 'ugly and pornographic', while priest and journalist Sorine Gotfredsen wrote in Berlingske that it represents 'a man's hot dream of what a woman should look like'. 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.'
However, others have defended the sculpture. Aminata Corr Thrane, Berlingske's debate editor, argued that the criticism amounts 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. She noted that the Big Mermaid has larger breasts than the famous Little Mermaid statue, suggesting that is where the problem lies.
The statue was created by artist Peter Bech, who said he was inspired by tourists' comments that the Little Mermaid was too small. Bech has defended his work, stating that the figure's breasts are 'of a proportional size' to its scale. He has offered to donate the statue to Dragør municipality, but the offer has been declined. Helle Barth, chair of the municipality's climate, urban and business committee, said it was 'hard to fit in' and 'takes up a lot of space'.
The Big Mermaid was originally erected at Langelinie Pier in 2006, near the Little Mermaid, but was removed in 2018 after locals denounced it as 'the fake and vulgar mermaid'. It was then moved to Dragør Fort, where it has remained until the recent removal request. Bech is hoping to find a way to keep the statue in the town.
