His bears romped in Berlin, in Nuremberg he showed what Dürer's hare looks like from the rear and he carried owls to Athens.

Just elected President of the Academy of Fine Arts in Nuremberg, Ottmar Hörl places his bet on the right hobbyhorse in Neuburg an der Donau. With 200 horse's heads in the colors red, blue, white, black, yellow and green the well-known contemporary artist and "heir" of Andy Warhol", as he also refers to himself, he places an important symbol of Neuburg in the spotlight. Part of them is mounted on pipes to become an over dimensional hobbyhorse, the rest is mounted to the walls of houses in Neuburg. In the year of the state exhibition, the horse's head thus sets colorful accents throughout the town and calls for communication and attention.

The idea for the project was developed during the Bavarian State Exhibition "On the mercy of the Emperor. 500 years of the Principality of the Neuburg Palatinate" which opens in the castle on June 3rd. "In most state exhibitions, there was a symbolic animal. Here in Neuburg, we immediately thought of the horse" says the manager of the office for cultural activities Dr. Dieter Distl. "The horse has great importance in the history of Neuburg. In the Neuburg coat of arms, two naked boys with hobbyhorses are reflected because the Neuburg Palatinate was established in 1505 to take care of the two orphaned children of the duke and duchess, Ottheinrich und Philipp.

The hobbyhorses also refer to the immaturity of the at that time two and three year old boys. And if we look at the two important exhibitions in the castle today, the "State Gallery Flemish Paintings of the Baroque"and the state exhibition, we are aware that the horse plays a major part as a stately symbol there as well. It was the Rolls-Royce of those days".

During a personal conversation last summer, Distl was able to convince the artist Ottmar Hörl who initially viewed the idea with skepticism to do the project. To Hörl, it was clear from the beginning that for his design he did not want a cute children's toy. "I wanted a dignified, a beautiful horse". Proud and realistic is therefore the model of his horse's head which now ornaments the Danube waterfront and bridge as well as numerous residential and business buildings. So far, the citizens of Neuburg have accepted the project with great enthusiasm. During just one weekend, a sufficient number of home owners was willing to ornament the walls of their houses with a Hörl-Horse until October. Many are already interested in a purchase to be able to keep the horse sculpture when the event is over. Thus, Hörl's artistic concept is fulfilled: producing his art in a public environment for the people. "I do not just work for galleries or an expert audience. Everyone who is interested in art should be able to take part in the artistic process. "