Art for the fourth plinth - 2nd June 2021

The iconic Trafalgar Square in London has a plinth on each corner. Three of them were designed to hold statues of celebrated public figures. But the fourth has remained bare. It was originally intended for a statue of English King William IV. However, money ran out and the fourth plinth became a matter of debate for 150 years.

Since 1998, the plinth has become home to a rolling commission of artworks, each holding the stage for 2 years.

An exhibition has now opened in London's National Gallery to showcase contestants' submissions for the next four years.

Ekow Eshun directs the Commissioning Group which, in June, will pick the exhibits destined to adorn the plinth.

Ekow Eshun: "They're artists from all around the world, from Mexico, from Ghana, from Germany, from the UK. And each of them has proposed a work that will sit on the Fourth Plinth for 2 years, for a temporary period of 2 years. We've asked those artists to think about having a conversation with London about the role that art can play in helping us, really, to think more broadly about who we are, about how we live in the city of London."

The current artwork, entitled "The End" by Heather Phillipson, is due to be replaced in September next year by the first of two winning artworks.

Amongst the entries are a giant rocket, casts of faces of 850 trans individuals, a towering structure packed with vegetation and a German folklore figure. There's also a jewellery tree adorned with household objects and a sculptural recreation of a 1914 photograph.

As Ekow Eshun explains, the final decision on which of the pieces will sit atop the plinth will be made by the Commissioning Group. However, the gallery has invited the public to express their opinions.

Ekow Eshun: "The public is invited to have their say, to talk about what they like, what they don't like. And then, there's a selection process that's made by, by the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group - the judges - and we decide the next works that will go on the Plinth."