An art school director welcomes a “tribute to the vast majority of female figure skaters” amid outrage on social media.
A grim statue of a mermaid in a square in a fishing village in Apulia, southern Italy, has caused a stir for being “too provocative”.
The statue was created by students of the art school Luigi Rosso in Monopoli, and then installed in the square named after the scientist Rita Levi-Montalcini, writes The Guardian.
The artwork, which has yet to be officially unveiled, became the target of mockery after photos taken during its installation were shared on social media.
Bari actress Tiziana Schiaparelli wrote that her Monopoly friend “justly expressed some astonishment at this sight”.
“Looks like a mermaid with two silicone breasts and, above all, a huge ass, never seen in a mermaid,” the message emphasizes.
Schiaparelli emphasized that she has no problem with the art students or the local council that commissioned the work. “But I’m having a lot of fun with this thing…who knows if it will become another tourist attraction,” she added.
Adolfo Marciano, director of the Luigi Rosso art school, defended the statue, saying it was “a tribute to the vast majority of curvaceous women”. He explained that the mayor of Monopoly had instructed the students to create several statues for the city, including one on the theme of the sea.
“The students came together and came up with the idea of a mermaid. Radi was shown a scale model and he said it was good, and then decided that the finished sculpture would be placed in the plaza,” Marciano said.
Marciano said he didn’t want to judge the students’ inspiration, but saw the work “as a representation of reality, in this case, the female body.”
He added: “You see ads on TV with very thin models, but the mermaid is a tribute to the vast majority of curvaceous women, especially in our country. It would be very bad if we were to represent a very thin woman.”
Beppe, who lives in Monopoli, said the sculpture, which remained closed until its unveiling, had sparked a lot of debate in recent days, with some people criticizing it as “too provocative”.
“It’s a shame because student artists deserve praise, not criticism,” he said.