After harsh criticism, the Big Mermaid statue was removed from public view in Denmark.
The 13-foot statue depicted a bronze sculpture of a mermaid, inspired by the character in Hans Christian Anderson’s Little Mermaid novel. Originally, the statue was housed near an existing Little Mermaid statue at the city center of Copenhagen, but was later shifted to Dragør Fort in 2018. It remained there until now.
The official stance behind the removal of the statue was simply that it was unauthorised. Protected under the Danish Museum Act, the Dragør Fort enjoys status as a cultural location, and its maintenance is done by the Culture Ministry. The Agency said: “In this context, the agency determined that alterations had been made to Dragør Fort, including the installation of a large mermaid sculpture, without prior permission. The agency has assessed that the sculpture must be removed from Dragør Fort, as it disrupts the fortification’s military structure and constitutes an element that is unfamiliar to the site.”
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However, there had been against the statue since its installation at its former location. Some critics called it out for pandering to the “male gaze” or perpetuating “unreal beauty standards for women”; others have simply called it “ugly”. The Danish entrepreneur who commissioned the work, however, defended the work and said he would fight against the removal.
