WUPPERTAL.- The sculpture of Pallas Athena has returned to its familiar place in front of the Wilhelm Dörpfeld Gymnasium in Wuppertal—but this time, it does not stand alone. Installed alongside it is Eulensicht (Owl’s Gaze), a new work by artist and architectural historian Azra Akšamija, offering a thoughtful and quietly powerful intervention into one of the city’s most contested monuments.

Arno Breker’s Pallas Athena has long been a source of debate. Breker was one of the most prominent artists favored by the Nazi regime, and his monumental classicism remains inseparable from the ideology it once served. For decades, questions have lingered over how—or whether—such works should remain in public space. Rather than removing the sculpture or allowing it to stand without context, the city chose a different path: commissioning a contemporary artist to respond critically to its presence.

Akšamija’s response is Eulensicht, an interactive sculpture that invites viewers to literally change their perspective. Shaped like the head of an owl, the work functions like a coin-operated viewing telescope. When visitors look through it, Breker’s statue appears framed by the strict profile of Athena’s head—a visual reference to the way the figure was appropriated by Nazi imagery, most notably in the catalogue of the 1937 Great German Art Exhibition. The act of looking becomes an act of reflection, asking viewers not just to see the sculpture, but to see its history.

At night, the work takes on an even more symbolic role. A beam of light projected from one of the owl’s eyes illuminates Pallas Athena, casting its shadow across the school’s façade. Alongside this shadow appears a quote by philosopher George Santayana: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” The owl—traditionally associated with wisdom and vigilance—becomes a watchful presence, suggesting an awareness that extends beyond daylight and certainty.

In a subtle but meaningful gesture, Eulensicht also restores something Breker’s sculpture lacks. In classical depictions, Athena is almost always accompanied by an owl, her emblem of wisdom. Breker omitted it. Akšamija returns the owl—not as an ornament, but as a critical voice. The result is not a confrontation, but a dialogue between past and present, power and responsibility, memory and interpretation.

The installation reflects a broader shift in how societies are choosing to deal with difficult cultural legacies. Rather than erasing history or leaving it unquestioned, Eulensicht demonstrates how contemporary art can create space for nuance, education, and conversation—especially in a school setting, where critical thinking is essential.

The official unveiling of Eulensicht will take place on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at 1:00 pm. With this intervention, Wuppertal offers a compelling example of how public art can confront history without simplifying it—and how looking more closely can sometimes be the most powerful act of all.