A poster advertising a world cup ski race sponsored by Audi has been slammed for featuring a naked female skier with the moon between her legs.
The poster promotes the AUDI FIS Ski World Cup women’s slalom and giant slalom races in the ski resort of Seemmering in the Austrian state of Lower Austra on December 28 and 29.
As well as a naked woman on skis, with a crescent moon between her legs, the artwork features what appears to be a rabbit, an owl and another animal’s head on a stick.
Women have been branding the poster – created by Austrian artist Christian Attersee – sexist after it was unveiled by the Governor of Lower Austria, Johanna Mikl-Leitner.
And dozens of them took to social media to show their anger about the poster, demanding it be withdrawn and replaced.
TV host Corinna Milborn wrote: “What ski runners are: Extremely brave. Well trained to the limit. Concentrated. Fighters with a bite and will to win.”
She then shared an image of the poster, commenting: “How skiers are portrayed on a poster officially presented by the Province of Lower Austria in 2018.”
Netizen ‘Christine Seeman’ said: “What is the message of this advertising? Naked women go skiing? In Semmering, women run around naked in winter?”
Other women compared the poster to recent claims of sexual assault on Austria’s ski racing circuit with several female racers revealing they had been harassed and even raped by trainers in the past.
The Austrian Ski Association (OeSV) defended the poster which it said would remain in circulation unless the artist himself decided to withdraw it.
A spokesman said: “We did not intend to hurt the feelings of viewers with this work of a significant Austrian artist. If this has happened unexpectedly and unintentionally, we sincerely regret that.”
Mr Attersee defended his poster, saying bare breasts had been “regarded since the Middle Ages as expressing the power of women towards the warlike male world”.
He added: “I consider the design of the poster as a work of art for the public, in which the strength, independence and self-confidence of women is shown positively.”
Story By: Koen Berghuis, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency: Central European News
