A provocative mermaid statue has become the talk of the town in Monopoli, a southern Italian town in the Puglia region.
The artwork was commissioned by the local municipality as part of a redevelopment project for the Piazza Rita Levi-Montalcini square, named after a Nobel Prize-winning scientist.
The voluptuous sculpture was created by students from the Luigi Rosso art school in Monopoli and stands near a children’s playground.
According to Adolfo Marciano, the headteacher of the Luigi Rosso art school, the statue is a tribute to curvy women.
He said that the students came up with the idea of a mermaid to celebrate the great majority of women who are curvy, especially in Italy.
However, the statue has divided opinion on social media, with some users questioning whether the statue was inspired by Kim Kardashian.
While some people have criticized the artwork for its exaggerated curves, others have defended it as a celebration of female beauty.
The statue is yet to be officially unveiled, but it has already caused a stir in the town and become a tourist attraction.
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