Edvard Eriksen “Little Mermaid” / various

(This open-air bronze statue, installed in Copenhagen in 1913, has been damaged and defaced on several occasions, but has been successfully restored in the wake of each incident.

a) On April 24, 1964, the statue’s head was sawn off and stolen by politically oriented artists of the Situationist movement. The head was never recovered and a new head was produced and placed on the statue.

b) On July 22, 1984, the right arm was sawn off and returned two days later by two young men. It was able to be reattached.

c) In 1990, an aborted attempt to sever the statue’s head left a cut in the neck 7 inches deep.

d) In 1998, the statue was decapitated again. The culprits were never found, but the head was returned anonymously to a nearby TV station. It was able to be reattached.

e) In 2003, the statue was knocked off its base with explosives and later found in the harbor’s waters. Holes were blasted in the mermaid’s wrist and knee.

f) In 2004, the statue was draped in a burqa as a statement against Turkey joining the European Union. In May 2007, the statue was again found draped in a Muslim dress and head scarf.

g) In 2006, a dildo was attached to the statue’s hand, green paint was dumped over it, and the words “March 8” were written on it. It is suspected that this vandalism had something to do with International Women’s Day, which falls on March 8th.
Paint has also been poured on the statue several times, including one instance in 1963 and two in 2007.)