Giant mural of erect blue penis to be removed from building in Stockholm
Picture taken on April 11, 2018 shows a mural made by Swedish artist Carolina Falkholt, showing a giant blue penis painted on the wall of a residential building in Stockholm. / AFP PHOTO / TT News Agency / Pontus LUNDAHL / Sweden OUT / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION – TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION (Photo credit should read PONTUS LUNDAHL/AFP/Getty Images)
The mural of a five-storey-high blue penis in Stockholm is to be painted over after it sparked uproar from residents in the building it adorns.
The colourful art work, named F*** the World, appeared on the side of an apartment block in the Kungsholmen island district of the city last Wednesday.
But according to the newspaper Aftonbladet, the building’s owners quickly decided it should be removed in response to complaints from residents.
Photos also show banners draped over the mural which read: “Keep your penis inside…”
Enthusiasts have until Wednesday before the mural is painted over (Anders Wiklund/Getty)
Camilla Klimt, Atrium Ljungberg’s marketing manager, told Aftonbladet: “Culture and art are important in developing interesting urban environments. Obviously, we care about artistic freedom.
“But at the same time, we must respect the closest neighbours’ opinions.” She added some had “perceived it as offensive.”
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The mural, by artist Carolina Falkholt, will not be removed straight away, giving enthusiasts time to experience the work. It is due to painted over on Wednesday.
Klimt added: “By letting the work sit down for a short period of time, we offer everyone interested in taking part in the work.”
The Swedish artist behind the mural said she had hoped it would get a better reception in Stockholm (pictured) than in New York, where a similar art work was also painted over
This is not the first time Falkholt’s work has been poorly received. In 2017, a similar mural of a large red penis was painted over in New York.
At the time, the Swedish artist told the Guardian her artistic creation was about “not feeling ashamed of your body and who you are as a sexual being.”
Ahead of her mural’s unveiling in Stockholm, Falkholt had expressed hope it would not suffer the same fate.
“I think perhaps it will be allowed to remain here, people will get the message and let it take its place in the debate,” she told Aftonbladet.
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“I think there’s more intellectual space to discuss the subject, in a nuanced way.”
Artists have been permitted to decorate the apartment block wall adorned by Falkholt’s work since 2008.
The murals, commissioned by a collective of local artists, normally stay in place for around six months.
