A sand sculpture on Weston-super-Mare beach showing the beheading of Theresa May has caused controversy.
Dutch artist Johannes Hogebrink is working on an anti-Brexit piece depicting the Prime Minister’s head under a guillotine, as part of Weston Sand Sculpture Festival.
The sculpture, which is set to be finished tomorrow (May 14), delivers the message that “to cut off England from Europe is to cut off her head, but she is doing it anyway”, Mr Hogebrink says.
A social media backlash saw comments call for the artwork to be investigated as "a hate crime”.
The sculpture shows two “salivating voyeurs”, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, watching May “throwing her head under a falling guillotine”, a festival spokesperson said.
Mr Hogebrink has been building the piece, which is six metres wide and four metres high, for a week. It is titled: ‘What If They Are Trying To Divide Us?’
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Piece aims to 'turn heads'
One person commented on Facebook: “The Sand Sculpture Festival is supposed to be a bit of fun for families. This strikes me as being fundamentally wrong.”
Another wrote: “While I agree with the sentiments that both Trump and Putin wish to see a weakened Europe for their own economic and political purposes, this seems to be a distasteful way of demonstrating that.”
But Mr Hogebrink hit back at critics, arguing: “It is my firm opinion that if you do not understand the piece then you shouldn’t be allowed to vote."
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He added that he had been hoping to “turn heads” with the piece.
Asked if he had expected the sculpture to be branded a hate crime, the artist said: “I didn’t expect anything else.
“People are hypersensitive and they will do anything to be outraged.
“It’s a political cartoon in sculpture form. In cartoons lots of things are symbolised by beheadings. It is not violent or bloody or gross.”
'Inspiring'
Festival organiser Nicola Wood defended the piece when asked if she felt it was inappropriate given recent incidents of politicians receiving death threats and the 2016 murder of MP Jo Cox.
She said: “I can see from the comments online that people have jumped to an immediate conclusion.
“I don’t personally think it is in bad taste. It is a metaphor, a play on the words ‘on her head be it’.
“In my opinion it is inspiring and encouraging people to look at Brexit from a broader perspective.”
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The artist said he hopes May sees the work and is moved to “pull the plug” on Brexit.
He added: “May’s appearance in my piece is most tragic – she was never behind Brexit in the first place and she is clearly sacrificing herself over this entire deal. In a way it is admirable.”
‘What If they are Trying to Divide Us?’ is planned to stay on the beach until October.
Though social media posts have complained that the sculpture is a hate crime, it is not known if a report has been made to police. This means Avon and Somerset Constabulary has been unable to comment.
North Somerset Council, which manages the beach, has been approached for comment.
