Every two years since 1999, a new piece of art has occupied the well-known central London location; the winners are chosen from a shortlist.
The most recent list also includes a golden bronze sculpture of a woman’s head and a bird’s nest that will be on exhibit in 2026 and 2028.
In March, the winners will be declared
Two of the seven pieces of art that made the most recent shortlist are scheduled for commissions. They are as follows:
The Grin You Give Back to You
The artwork, which was made by Chila Burman, centers around her father’s ice cream van, The Rocket, and depicts his journey to the UK on the HMS Battory from India.
Have Faith in Unhappiness
Ruth Ewan’s enormous ornamental cat is named after suffragist Charlotte Despard, who frequently addressed crowds in Trafalgar Square. The artwork pays homage to the square’s historical significance and the way that women involved in the suffrage movement were disparagingly portrayed in the media as cats.
Old Emotions
Thomas J. Price created “a collective community portrait” with his enormous golden bronze sculpture, which includes a made-up woman whose characteristics are drawn from a variety of historical sources.
Yams and Sweet Potatoes Are Not the Same
The sculpture of a “sweet potato island” by Veronica Ryan symbolizes the global travels of this simple root vegetable, which has its origins in Peru. It also mirrors the cross-cultural discussions that take place in the area.
Hornero
The Rufous Hornero bird, Argentina’s national emblem, is depicted in Gabriel Chaile’s artwork as establishing its distinctive nest on a high surface, such as a light pole or monument.
Title Unknown
At a time when there is growing discussion regarding the use of public space, Andra Ursuţa’s piece, which features a hollow, life-sized figure on a horse covered in a shroud and cast in a slime-green resin, is said to symbolize many histories of public sculpture.
The Blue Lady
The bronze sculpture by Tschabalala Self honors a youthful, urban lady of color. It is coated in lapis lazuli blue, a rare and sophisticated pigment that has been used since antiquity.
Twenty-five years have passed since the first piece of art was placed on the vacant plinth; fourteen other sculptures have occupied the area during that time.
Right now, the platform is home to Samson Kambalu’s bronze resin sculpture, Antelope, which features a 1914 photo of European missionary John Chorley and Baptist preacher and pan-Africanist John Chilembwe shot in Nyasayland (now known as Malawi).
The Bloomberg Philanthropies and Arts Council England are supporting the competition, which is being financed by the mayor of London.
The Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group selects the winners, in part, in response to public input.
The second sculpture to be unveiled is Teresa Margolles’ Improntas (Imprints), which consists of plaster casts of hundreds of transgender people’s faces.
The exhibit will open in September.
Topics #Trafalgar Square Fourth Plinth
