WHAT?  En Garde - Ron Mueck

WHERE?  Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery, Ely House, 37 Dover Street, London W1S 4NJ 

WHEN?  Now until 2nd April.  Free to view 

WHY GO?  For a canine encounter.  Who let the dogs out? It’s a tad surreal to stand alongside a trio of colossal dogs, made possible when you swing by this prestigious international gallery who represent some of the world’s most famous contemporary artists like Georg Baselitz, Anselm Kiefer along with Mueck who joined in 2020.

On show for the first time in the UK and standing almost three metres tall, these are not dogs to mess with. They look fearsome, even menacing, but thankfully won’t be going outside anytime soon. 

Conceived originally by sculptor Mueck in 2023 for the Fondation Cartier in Paris, they’ve been kennelled over to Milan and the Netherlands and now stand hackles raised to shock Londoners and create tension upon entering the gallery’s vast empty space.

Their name, En Garde refers to the traditional command a fencer adopts to prepare for attack.

Controversial artist Mueck is famed for exploring the psychology of our relationship with art and has charted human experience from birth to death in previous sculptures, often playing with scale by sculpting figures that are often smaller or larger than life creating an uncanny balance. 

These threatening dogs undoubtedly create a heightened feeling of awareness.  

Brushing off weird art speak, the dynamic trio are nevertheless an awesome sight and well worth a visit. 

Watch Mueck fastidiously at work in his UK studio, check the gallery’s online video.

IN THE KNOW  Ely House is in itself a work of art, being one of the finest eighteenth century mansions in Mayfair.  Originally commissioned by a Bishop in 1772 as his London residence, it became part of the racy Albemarle Club in 1909 and finally underwent a total refurb in 2017 to house the esteemed London home of the Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery with five distinct gallery spaces.