Curvy Mermaid Statue In Southern Italy Sparks Outrage For Being "Provocative"

Adolf Marciano, headteacher of the Luigi Rosso art school, has stated that the statue was a "tribute to the great majority of women who are curvy".

A curvy statue of a mermaid has caused a stir in the southern Italian town of Monopoli for being "too provocative". According to The Guardian, the artwork sits in a new square in the Puglia town called Piazza Rita Levi-Montalcini - named after a Nobel prize-winning Italian scientist. It was created by students from the Luigi Rosso art school in Monopoli and is located near a children's playground. 

The artwork has become a target of ridicule after photos taken during its installation were shared on social media. Taking to Facebook, Bari-based actor Tiziana Schiavarelli said that a friend in Monopoli had "rightly expressed some perplexity about this 'monument'. It looks like a mermaid with two silicone breasts and, above all, a huge arse never seen before on a mermaid. At least not any I know". 

Ms Schiavarelli further stressed that she did not have an issue with the art students or the local council, which had commissioned the work. "But I am very amused by this thing ...who knows if it will become a further attraction for tourists," she added. 

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