It’s a dog 2023 Anton Ian Nielsen
MDF-wood, acrylic paint, and spray.

Or a lamb. Or anything you want it to be. The sculpture draws inspiration from the figures of Nordic Mythology. Freya’s wagon being carried by cats, Thor’s carried by goats. This creature is a part-lamb, part-dog creature blending the old traditions of wood working and manufacturing with modern technologies of CAD modeling and CNC cutting, allowing for millimeter precision. The sculpture’s lack of facial features makes it robotic-looking, reminiscent of modern military AI-controlled dogs. The constant evolution of technologies forces us to ask questions about our role in design, manufacturing, and life in general.

The work is presented as part of the Well High Festival, a multidisciplinary art event held in the iconic Brønshøj Water Tower. The festival brings together artists who explore the relationship between technology, materiality, and contemporary myth-making. Within the tower’s resonant, cathedral-like acoustics, It’s a dog gains an added sense of scale and ambiguity, inviting visitors to reflect on how ancient stories and modern tools coexist in today’s cultural landscape.