The post-industrial city of Marl, Germany carries the scars of the economic depression following the mining industry’s demise. City squares are filled with public sculptures bearing witness of past wealth surrounded by public buildings that are Brutalist masterpieces. Here, a horse stands alone. The horse is almost static, but in spite of his relative fixity, it remains the only source of life present in this deserted urban environment. The work looks at the archetypical forms of equestrian public sculptures and more broadly questions the use, codes and authority of public space artwork.