Hahn und Podest
Museum Folkwang
Museumsplatz 1
45128 Essen
With the acquisition of Hahn und Podest (2013/2019) by Katharina Fritsch, the Museum Folkwang is expanding its collection to include a key work of 21st-century art: Starting March 8, 2026, the two-part, nearly four-meter-tall sculpture will be on view in the collection galleries. Hahn und Podest is one of the best-known works by the internationally renowned sculptor. It was officially unveiled on March 7, 2026, in the presence of the artist, Minister Ina Brandes, and Essen’s Mayor Thomas Kufen.
The bright blue rooster was originally created in 2013 for the Fourth Plinth program in Trafalgar Square, London. In the version developed for indoor display in 2019, the bird stands atop a tall, light-green pedestal. Together, the rooster and the pedestal reach a height of nearly four meters: the 215-centimeter-tall rooster, made of hand-polished cast polyester, towers over the audience and exudes a presence that is as proud as it is fragile. The monumental enlargement of animals plays a significant role in the artist’s work. The monumental enlargement of animals plays a central role in the artist’s work. Hahn und Podest is in the same vein as key works such as Elefant (1987) and Rattenkönig (1992), and ranks among the artist’s most important recent works.
Katharina Fritsch
Hahn und Podest, 2013/2019
polyester, steel, paint
375 x 200 x 200 cm
Text: © Museum Folkwang
Artwork: © Katharina Fritsch
Photo: © Ivo Faber; © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2026