Seated Giants of Västertorp: A Controversial Sculpture

**Efter badet** is a public sculpture in Västertorp district, Stockholm. Designed by sculptor Pye Engström between 1971 and 1976, it has been located outside of Västertorpshallen, a municipally owned public bath, since 1976. The sculpture is constructed as a bench, where visitors can sit in the lap of seven different political figures. From left to right, they are Elise Ottesen-Jensen, Paulo Freire, Sara Lidman, Mao Zedong, Angela Davis, Georg Borgström, and Pablo Neruda.

The sculpture has caused controversy due to the depiction of Mao Zedong. In 2010, Madeleine Sjöstedt, a prominent municipal politician, demanded that a sign be placed next to the sculpture providing information about the 'crimes against humanity committed by Mao and communism. However, opposition politician Roger Mogert commented that the statue was a 'non-issue. The sculptor Pye Engström explained the choice of portrayed individuals by saying that 'it was the 1970s,' and later stated she had no problem with the city authorities putting up a sign as long as it provided information about everyone depicted in the sculpture.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons