Owl's Wisdom is an interactive sculpture that explores the complex historical symbolism of Arno Breker's Pallas Athene statue at the Wilhelm-Dörpfeld-Gymnasium in Wuppertal, Germany. Reminiscent of coin-operated viewfinders found at scenic overlooks, this bronze artwork features a column and owl-shaped binoculars that evoke associations with Athena's (missing) owl and make visible "shadow stories" related to Breker's problematic legacy. The installation is positioned next to the statue of Pallas Athene, offering a direct view. Viewers are symbolically invited to adopt the owl's perspective and use the apparatus to gain new insights. Through the binoculars, one sees Breker's statue framed by a stencil depicting Athena's appropriation by the National Socialists during the Third Reich - specifically taken from the catalog cover of the "Große Deutsche Kunstausstellung" of 1937, which ran parallel to the infamous "Degenerate Art" exhibition.
This project was developed in response to a competition organized by the city of Wuppertal for an artistic commentary on Arno Breker's statue of Pallas Athene. The competition arose from ongoing debates about the presence of the statue at the entrance to the school, as Breker was one of Hitler's favorite sculptors and a prominent representative of Nazi aesthetic ideology. In 2003, the statue was taken down in protest, but later reinstalled. After years of discussion and a public forum in 2019 on whether "a Breker should stand in front of a school," the city decided against removing the statue (which is protected as a historical monument) and instead commissioned a contemporary artistic response that would provide critical context while respecting the school's humanistic values.
Artistic Concept, Design and Creation: Azra Akšamija
Design Research: Merve Akdoğan, Thera Webb
Project Development and Visualizations: Merve Akdoğan, Ghida Anouti, Penelope Phylactopoulos, Nadine Zaza
Public space installation
Winning proposal of an invited Public Art competition, commissioned by the City of Wuppertal, in collaboration with the Von der Heydt-Museum Wuppertal
Dimensions: 4 x 8 x 1.7m
Materials: bronze, concrete, stone paving, plants
Currently in construction