The famous dachshund dog is at the center of the exhibition titled The Dachshund. An Icon off the Leash, held at the Kunsthalle Bremen until March 28, 2027. The exhibition documents the impact of this animal on visual culture and German history, also offering rooms and installations specifically designed to accommodate small dogs.

According to reports by the broadcaster Deutsche Welle, the exhibition route delves into the bond between the canine breed and leading figures of modern art. Standing out is the story of Lump, the dachshund belonging to photojournalist David Douglas Duncan who lived six years with Pablo Picasso, appearing in famous pictorial reinterpretations and on a ceramic plate decorated by the artist.

Besides Picasso, masters such as Andy Warhol, Otto Dix, David Hockney, Max Liebermann, and Rosemarie Trockel chose the dachshund as a studio model. Bred in Germany more than three centuries ago to hunt badgers and foxes, the animal saw its standards defined in 1879, quickly becoming a widely recognizable icon due to its peculiar elongated silhouette.

Curator Annett Reckert highlighted the dog's complex symbolic dimension, which evolved from the satirical cartoons of the world wars to the famous Waldi mascot designed by Otl Aicher for the 1972 Munich Olympics. The exhibition aims to highlight the breed's affable nature, overcoming recent ideological disputes and contemporary political instrumentalizations.