Today we announced the next two winners for the fourth plinth commission. Artist Tschabalala Self’s Lady in Blue is a confident young woman of colour, striding out with purpose, bringing a contemporary “everywoman” to the historical heart of London. In contrast, Andra UrsuÅ£a’s sculpture is a translucent green shroud over a figure on horseback, hovering on the edge of visibility like a ghost of history.
Hard to believe, but the corner of Trafalgar Square has been playing host to conversation-starting art for a quarter of a century. It’s often said that in London we make the rules and then we break the rules. Whether it’s punk in the Seventies or McQueen in the Nineties, we are a city of deep tradition with a rebel spirit. Which is why the fourth plinth could only happen in London. For centuries the historical landscape of Trafalgar Square has remained the same — with its statues and monuments. But the fourth plinth brings bold contemporary art that makes our public realm pop.
