Copenhagen may have its mermaid, but Elsinore wants a handsome merman as a landmark to grace its new and thoroughly refurbished harbour – but the plan is far from popular in all quarters.

While Elsinore’s politicians and its council are clapping their hands, the area’s landscape architect, RealDania and the Palaces and Properties Agency are less enthusiastic about the location that artists found for the landmark.

Three million
The statue of a naked young male by Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset is called ‘Han’ (Ed: Him) and resembles a modern big brother to the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen – one of the Danish capital’s main tourist attractions. At a cost of some DKK 3 million Han is, among other things, said to reflect that modern man has become a sexual object in the same way as women.

But the director of RealDania, which is providing some DKK 200 million for projects in the area, says the statue does not fit in – at least not where the artists want to put it - on an apron in front of the council’s own Culture Yard, the modernised buildings of the former Elsinore Shipyard which will contain a major cultural centre and central library.

“We have listened to our landscape architect, and he says that the sculpture has its own history and relates to the Little Mermaid and not to Kronborg (Elsinore Castle). We want to secure Kronborg as an important part of our cultural heritage which is on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. In this, we don’t think that the sculpture fits in,” says RealDania Director Hans Peter Svendler.

Elsinore is currently revamping its harbour neighbourhood in four major projects – the Culture Yard, Kronborg Castle, the Culture Harbour and a brand new Maritime Museum. The extensive projects are being funded by the council, RealDania, the Palaces and Properties Agency and private funding.

Mayor disagrees
Elsinore’s mayor, however, disagrees with critics of the statue.

“Landscape architects set out landscapes, architects build houses and artists produce art and place that art. I am convinced that the statue is brilliant and we think it will fit in nicely,” says Liberal Mayor Johannes Hecht-Nielsen.

But Hecht-Nielsen is willing to consider moving the statue from its projected location – provided that the artists concerned can accept the new location. The landscape architect, RealDania and the Palaces and Properties Agency have suggested placing the merman at the Royal Quay, at which the Danish monarch arrives by ship each summer to begin her summer vacation.

Artists shrug
The artists themselves appear prepared to accept putting Him somewhere else.

“We believe that the statue is strong enough to make its mark wherever it is. The important issue is that it is close to water. And who knows, eventually it may be moved to its original location if it seems dull where it has been placed,” says Michael Elmgreen.