Art in Trafalgar Square - 2nd June 2021

This is Trafalgar Square, London. There are four blocks in the square. They are plinths. Three plinths have statues of famous people on them. The fourth plinth was empty. Now, this plinth is for art. London needs some new art for this plinth. Six artists made new pieces of art. Their art is in the National Gallery.

A special group will choose two pieces of art for the plinth. Ekow Eshun is the leader of this group.

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."

There is a piece of art on the plinth now. It's name is "The End". Artist Heather Phillipson made it. It will stay here until September 2022. Then a new artwork will go on the plinth.

The artists are from all over the world. They all have different ideas. One artist made a very big rocket. One artist made a plant sculpture.

Ekow Eshun is interested in the public's feelings about the art.

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."