The Walking Bag was unveiled against all odds on Sunday in the presence of the artist, who has plenty of experience with the opposition to his artworks. He was therefore grateful "that it has been possible to soften the critical voices to such an extent that it is possible to show Walking Bag here".

There it stands, or rather walks, on the pavement at the intersection of Am Hof and Am Neutor: the large orange shopping bag. Modelled on the expensive handmade Birkin Bag, it is made of bronze and has human legs. The bag strides towards the shopping street and invites us to reflect on its message. The first thought is probably criticism of consumerism.

"Who does not feel addressed by the directness of this bronze sculpture? Or even caught out?" asked foundation chair Walter Smerling during his address to a large audience in the neighbouring Contrakreis Theatre. "And who could to deny that criticism of consumerism is not a cheap trick, but an urgent need?"

Does a work critical of consumerism belong at the entrance to the city centre, which, after all, should be buzzing with people? This was also the question asked by Alexander Graf Lambsdorff (FDP), member of the Bundestag in Bonn, who gave the eulogy for the artist and the work of art. Of course, it is not meant to discourage shopping, but to encourage people to "think about how we consume".

And the Birkin Bag - a women's handbag from the fashion brand Hermès - which is crafted to last a lifetime, could be interpreted as a call to shop sustainably. However, such a bag costs more than 8,000 euros. So one could also interpret that "if we want sustainable consumerism, we also have to make it affordable".

It is important "not to lose your sense of humour in all debates", which always resonates in Wurm's work, emphasised Graf Lambsdorff. He welcomed the sculpture as a further step towards the urban museum. "Humour as a wake-up call, a nudge, an invitation." And he prefers a lively debate to people shrugging it off. For Bonn's head of culture Birgit Schneider-Bönninger, too, the focus was on "citizens' engagement with the urban environment".

So what does urban society have to say about it? The Ritter family, all art fans, had come to the city especially for the unveiling. There was a lot of excitement beforehand, even though Stefan Ritter did not like the site: The four-metre-high sculpture was a bit in the way, namely exactly where people wait for green at the traffic lights, he thought. Would it have looked better on the Hofgartenwiese? But Balkenhol was already there with his "Homage to Macke". After the unveiling, people were a little disillusioned. "It is different from what I expected," said Stefanie Ritter. "She looked more imposing in the run-up."

Manfred Hafeneger, out with his family, thought it was "great that someone is doing something at all". Criticism of consumerism? "Maybe we'll get lucky and my wife will be discouraged from shopping," he joked, but she didn't seem to find it that funny. More seriously, he said, "It's meant to make you realise all our decadence." He said he found the discussions, for instance of the art professors, "simply superfluous". He, too, could have imagined a more representative place - he did not say which one.

In front of the neighbouring bakery, two employees were watching the goings-on. They will now look at the sculpture every day, but that doesn't bother them. It doesn't matter "whether there is a sculpture there or not". In the past, there was an old advertising pillar in the same place. Better?

Musa Makovci, owner of the Bistro 5 Senses, had an interesting interpretation of the work. He based it on the idea of Graf Lambsdorff, who also saw in the sculpture an invitation to shop less online and to go into the city centre more. The Walking Bag could also invite people to walk more in general: A completely car-free city centre, that's what he would like to see. "The street here is so busy." Instead of stench and horns honking, it would be nicer if people could move around freely. At any rate, he likes the artwork.

Whatever you think of it, "Erwin Wurm's art is good for the public space, our society and our dialogue," said Smerling. "The Walking Bag is a perfect object to practice tolerance." And to show that you haven't lost your sense of humour.