A statue of a mermaid, placed in a square in a fishing village in Puglia, Italy, has caused an uproar for being deemed "too provocative".
The statue was created by students at the Luigi Rosso art school in Monopoli before being positioned in a square named after the scientist Rita Levi-Montalcini.
The artwork, which has not yet been officially inaugurated, became the object of ridicule and photos taken during its installation were immediately shared on social networks.
"Looks like a mermaid with silicone breasts and, on top of that, a butt I've never seen on a mermaid before," someone said.
Adolfo Marciano, head of the Luigi Rosso art school, defended the statue, saying it was a "homage to most women who are old".
Marciano said he didn't want to judge the students' inspiration, but he saw the work "as a representation of reality, in this case the female body."
