Well-endowed mermaid statue making waves in Italian city is a ‘homage to the vast majority of curvy women,’ say creators
- Statue of a round mermaid near a children’s play park in a southern Italian village
- Criticized for being “too provocative,” creators say it pays homage to curvy women
A stone statue of a well-endowed mermaid is making waves in an Italian town because its creators said it was a “homage” to curvy women.
The sculpture of the voluptuous mermaid was created by students of the art school Luigi Rosso in Monopli and was placed near a playground in the fishing village of Puliga in Bari, southern Italy.
But the circular statue, named after Nobel Prize-winning Italian scientist Rita Levi-Montalcini, drew criticism from locals for being “too provocative.”
But the art school’s head teacher, Adolfo Marciano, said the statue was a “homage to the vast majority of curvy women.”
The artwork, which is part of a £310,000 (€350,000) redevelopment of the area, was commissioned by the local council and has been ridiculed on social media.
A stone statue of a well-endowed mermaid (pictured) is causing quite a stir in an Italian town, as its creators said it was a “homage” to curvy women
The statue of the voluptuous mermaid was created by students of the art school Luigi Rosso in Monopli and was erected near a playground in a fishing village of Puliga in Bari, southern Italy
The redevelopment was undertaken to improve living space for the local population, including improving pathways and creating better spaces for recreational and cultural activities. This included the installation of children’s playground equipment in the neighborhood, Italian newspaper The Monopoli Times reports.
Actress Tiziana Schiavarelli, who lives in Bari, commented on a photo of the “mind-boggling” monument in Rita Levi Montalcini Square, saying: “At first glance you wouldn’t think they would want to portray the statue of the famous scientist. .
“It rather looks like a mermaid with two silicone breasts to report to the surgeon, and especially a huge cock that has never been seen on a mermaid. At least for those I know.’
Mr Marciano defended the artwork, saying the students had been commissioned by the mayor of Monopoli to create a few statues for the city, including one with a sea theme, the Guardian reports.
He said the students came up with the idea of sculpting a mermaid, which was then approved by the council to be displayed in the square. He added that the image was a “representation of reality, in this case of the female body.”
The artwork, part of a £310,000 (€350,000) redevelopment of the area, was commissioned by the local council and has been ridiculed on social media
The art school’s head teacher contrasted the image with “very thin” models often seen in television commercials, saying an “extremely thin” mermaid would have been a poor portrayal.
A resident of Monopoli said on Twitter that they were happy with the attention the town was getting, saying ‘Monopoli in all the papers for a big mermaid, that’s us!’
The statue has not yet been officially revealed.