Culture
The Sex Gnome Was Not Welcome in Progressive Rotterdam
Art historian Joke de Wolf examines the controversy surrounding Paul McCarthy’s six-meter sculpture, originally commissioned by Rotterdam in 2003 as a Santa Claus figure. After McCarthy modified the design to resemble a sex toy, the artwork sparked public outrage and political criticism for being indecent. Although initially rejected by the city council, the piece eventually found a home at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen before being placed prominently on Eendrachtsplein two years later.
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