A controversy has erupted in Denmark over a mermaid sculpture that has been removed from public view after being called “ugly,” “pornographic,” and the embodiment of “male fantasy about the female body.”
The Danish Agency for Palaces and Culture has decided to dismantle the 4×6-metre statue of “Little Mermaid” from the grounds of Dragør Fort, a former naval fortification in Copenhagen. According to the agency, the sculpture does not correspond to the cultural and historical value of the site, which dates back to 1910.
Art historian Mathias Kraiger from Politiken called the work “tasteless and indecent.” Priest and journalist Sorin Gottfredsen wrote in a column for Berlingske that such a sculpture is more an embodiment of the male dream of the “ideal woman” than something that promotes the acceptance of women’s bodies by women.
The creator of the 14-tonne statue, Peter Beck, is baffled by the criticism and insists that the mermaid’s proportions are in line with those of the sculpture. Some commentators believe that the negative reaction reflects a broader issue surrounding the perception of the female body in society.
Beck said he created the “Big Mermaid” in response to complaints from tourists who thought the original “Little Mermaid” was too small. He claims that the residents of Dragør have responded positively to the sculpture and hopes that the monument will still be preserved in the city.
The monument was erected in 2006 on the Langelinie pier next to the famous Little Mermaid, a symbol of Copenhagen. However, in 2018, after local residents criticised the statue as “vulgar and unrealistic,” it was dismantled and moved to Dragør Fort. This spring, the Agency for Palaces and Culture again demanded that it be removed. The municipality of Dragør refused to accept the gift from the sculptor.
