Denmark to tear down Copenhagen's 'pornographic' mermaid statue

Copenhagen is set to remove the controversial 13ft Big Mermaid statue, criticized as “pornographic” and overly sexualized. Unveiled in 2006 near the famous Little Mermaid statue, it faced backlash due to its depiction of a woman. In 2018, it was moved to Dragør Fort after ongoing complaints.

The Danish agency for palaces and culture plans its complete removal, citing cultural misalignment. Designer Peter Bech argued that the proportions are normal and criticized the backlash as “pure nonsense.” Art critics described the statue as damaging to women's body acceptance, echoing concerns raised in a similar Italian statue controversy.