Outcry over statue’s Freudian slip
– Thousands of keen bird-watchers flock to Serbia’s northern town of Kikinda every winter to see one of the world’s largest roosting populations of long-eared owls.
But the small town on Serbia’s border with Romania is now trending on social media for a different reason: a protest over a statue aiming to brand it as the city of owls which many say resembles a phallus rather than an owl. The protesters say the terracotta statue’s elongated shape and minimalist features were obscene and demanded its removal.
“Freud could say something about this statue, it looks so much like a phallus,” one protester said in a Facebook post.
“Now everyone will ridicule Kikinda,” read another post on Facebook.
“This statue represents something very masculine, but not an owl,” another said on Twitter.
Local sculptor Jovan Blat, who made the statue, could not be reached for comment.
Local authorities declined to comment.
Keen bird watcher Dragan Simic said he did not care about the statue. “Kikinda is now famous for its owls ... across Europe, the world ... the bird-watchers are very active, numerous and loyal tourists,” he said. – Reuters