As an artist, Anish Kapoor understood that placing a 200-foot long, 33-foot tall, rusty steel vagina in the gardens of Versailles would attract attention, visitors, and tons of criticism. Unfortunately, the work, titled Dirty Corner, also attracted vandals whose spray-painting job was discovered on Wednesday, reports BBC News.
While the statue doesn’t actually look like a vagina, British-Indian artist Kapoor was quoted as saying that the piece was meant to “signify the vagina of the queen who took power.” It seems the mere suggestion of a huge, powerful vagin, as the French say, was enough to make people deface it.
Currently, the statue is being cleaned both of the paint and of its vaginal association. Kapoor says the work is open to interpretation, telling the BBC, “Inevitably, one comes across the body, our bodies and a certain level of sexuality. But it is certainly not the only thing it is about.” So if a big ol’ vag offends you, feel free to look at Dirty Corner and see part of a conch shell or an orchid — none of which are at all reminiscent of a vagina.
