Girl in a Wetsuit

Vancouver’s own version of Copenhagen’s Little Mermaid

With the serene view of mountains, the coastal seaport city — Vancouver is one of the most scenic and diverse cities that I have been to.

The biggest attraction of Vancouver, Stanley Park, is larger than New York’s Central Park. While searching for must see spots in Stanley Park, I came across the sculpture of Girl in a Wetsuit—Vancouver’s version of Copenhagen’s Little Mermaid. I have not seen Little mermaid yet, so I am not really eligible to comment on the details of how similar these two are. But if I give someone a description of the sculpture that has a girl sitting on rock near a large water body—both of these sculptures would qualify as the right answer.

You would think why there is no copyright issue with this if there is so much similarity. It is because Elek Imredy—the creator of Girl in a Wetsuit—has not really sculpted a mermaid here. The sculpture is a scuba diver, dressed in wet suit, with fins and snorkel mask. So, you cannot really claim that both are same!

It is a common tendency to be inspired from an idea that has worked well at other places—in the anticipation of similar success and for surge in tourism. Most of the times, success story doesnot repeat itself. The places which tried to repeat Bilbao’s Guggenheim museum success story are an example of this.

My own country, India, is building a Statue of Unity which is not really supposed to be a copy of Statue of Liberty in idea or design but the name totally gives away the motive.

There is no doubt that Girl in a Wetsuit is a beautiful sculpture. But one cannot dodge the questions on its similarity to another artwork.