Two Dogs

Despite its everyday subject matter, this silhouette-style depiction of two dogs sniffing at each other is jarring because of its unusual location along the front edge of the Ludwig Forum roof.

The intrigued viewer will not fail to notice that this somewhat typical style of greeting can be transferred from animal to human behavior: when confronted with a museum, many people are filled with anxiety about engaging with what is on display. They first “sniff at it” before deciding how to further interact with it.

Here, Hans-Peter Feldmann uses humor to recommend the animal approach and does it without a hint of disapproval: “One should refer entirely to one’s natural curiosity and emotional openness, a bit like dogs do.”