Fred the Frog Rings the Bell
- Artist: Martin Kippenberger
- Date: 1990
- Medium: Wood and steel
- Dimensions: object: 1298 × 1100 × 241 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is “Fred the Frog Rings the Bell” by Martin Kippenberger. Created in 1990, the piece is a wooden cross holding a cartoon‑like frog with its tongue lolling out. The frog clutches a beer jug and carries an egg in its arm, a playful yet grim nod to the artist’s own drinking and the burdens he carried. Kippenberger turned his alter‑ego into a self‑crucifixion, placing both himself and the character on a public display where criticism could target either. The sculpture blurs humor and tragedy, echoing Germanic ritual while mocking the very idea of the artist’s martyrdom. It’s part of a short series produced between 1988 and 1992, showcasing Kippenberger’s habit of mixing kitsch imagery with sharp social commentary.
See it in person
Fred the Frog Rings the Bell is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
