Seven Ideas for the Fourth Plinth: Choose your favourite at The National Gallery
One commission has to be selected for 2026- 2028 - view the seven works shortlisted at a new display at the National Gallery…
By
Rhea Mathur
February 28, 2024
“You can’t hear the sound of the ice cream truck. We need it to be louder. Have you ever seen an ice cream truck without any sound?”, Chila Burman reacts to viewing her submission for the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square.
Located just outside the National Gallery, The Fourth Plinth has seen fourteen different pieces of contemporary art in the past 25 years. This northwest plinth was created in 1998 to hold an equestrian statue of William IV, but insufficient funds for the project left it standing empty for almost 150 years. In 1994, following a letter written by Prue Leith - then head of the Royal Society of Arts - it was decided that a diverse range of art would be showcased on the plinth, allowing it the opportunity to consistently engage with contemporary art.
Now, for 2026- 2028, seven pieces of work have made it to the final shortlist and the public is being asked to vote online for the one they would like to see commissioned. The shortlist includes Chila Kumari Singh Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You, Gabriel Challe’s Hornero, Ruth Ewan’s Believe in Discontent, Thomas J Price’s Ancient Feelings, Veronica Ryan’s Sweet Potatoes and Yams are Not the Same, Tschabalala Self’s Lady in Blue, Andra Ursuta’s Untitled.
Chila Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You is certainly one of the most striking ideas for the Fourth Plinth, depicting her father’s ice cream van which she states she “cleaned every single night”, with flames shooting out of one end and a Bengal tiger caught mid-motion on top of the van. For Burman, even though her design captures the whimsical nature of contemporary art, creating a sculpture that represents her family and their journey was still an emotional experience. Born and raised in Liverpool, the artist’s father moved to the UK from Calcutta and acquired the ice cream van when she was seven or eight years old, following which she remembers it as a crucial part of her life. In her work, Burman finds herself assimilating her father’s history as well as her own, and in turn communicating with the audience in a new, multicultural language. She sums up her work by saying that it represents an “untold story about diaspora and migration”.
Many of the shortlisted commissions represent a variety of cultural backgrounds including Gabriel Challe’s Hornero. Shaped to reflect the national emblem of Argentina and Uruguay, the Rufous Hornero bird, Challe’s work focuses on both cultural and ecological conversations. Inspired by the shape of the bird’s mud nest and its determination to build them even on public buildings and amid bustling cities, Challe highlights how birds have evolved from their natural to their industrial surroundings. A contemporary work such as this on a plinth that shares its residential address with old Masters including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt van Rijn highlights the evolution of art over time. From being restricted to portraiture, canvas paintings and capturing the play between light and dark, art has evolved to being perched on a plinth representing a bird that stands for resilience and strength.
A similar message of strength can be seen from Samson Kambalu’s Antelope which currently sits on the Fourth Plinth. Unveiled on 28th September 2022, the sculpture brings to life a photograph taken in 1914. Taken outside a Church, the sculpture captures John Chilembwe, a central figure against colonial oppression in Africa along with John Chorley, a European missionary. Made from resin, stainless steel and bronze, Chorley’s statue is life-sized, while Chilembwe’s statue is much larger. This use of size to represent the imbalanced historical focus on certain narratives uses Chilembwe’s struggle to capture the British Empire’s colonial past. Placed next to Nelson’s Column and the four lions at Trafalgar Square, both the materials and design of this sculpture blend into the existing sculptures, highlighting the equal right for each of these narratives to be represented in this public space.
The prominence of this location and the importance of the Fourth Plinth in contemporary art exponentially increases the magnitude of the decision that the public has to make. While each piece represents a historical and cultural background, it is important that the chosen work represents the country at this moment in time and furthers its ability to express complex and dynamic conversations through the contemporary medium. If public art was ever important, it is unquestionably important now.
The full shortlist of nominees for the Fourth Plinth can be found on the website of the Mayor of London.
Choose your favourite before voting closes on 12th March 2024.
“You can’t hear the sound of the ice cream truck. We need it to be louder. Have you ever seen an ice cream truck without any sound?”, Chila Burman reacts to viewing her submission for the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square.
Located just outside the National Gallery, The Fourth Plinth has seen fourteen different pieces of contemporary art in the past 25 years. This northwest plinth was created in 1998 to hold an equestrian statue of William IV, but insufficient funds for the project left it standing empty for almost 150 years. In 1994, following a letter written by Prue Leith - then head of the Royal Society of Arts - it was decided that a diverse range of art would be showcased on the plinth, allowing it the opportunity to consistently engage with contemporary art.
Now, for 2026- 2028, seven pieces of work have made it to the final shortlist and the public is being asked to vote online for the one they would like to see commissioned. The shortlist includes Chila Kumari Singh Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You, Gabriel Challe’s Hornero, Ruth Ewan’s Believe in Discontent, Thomas J Price’s Ancient Feelings, Veronica Ryan’s Sweet Potatoes and Yams are Not the Same, Tschabalala Self’s Lady in Blue, Andra Ursuta’s Untitled.
Chila Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You is certainly one of the most striking ideas for the Fourth Plinth, depicting her father’s ice cream van which she states she “cleaned every single night”, with flames shooting out of one end and a Bengal tiger caught mid-motion on top of the van. For Burman, even though her design captures the whimsical nature of contemporary art, creating a sculpture that represents her family and their journey was still an emotional experience. Born and raised in Liverpool, the artist’s father moved to the UK from Calcutta and acquired the ice cream van when she was seven or eight years old, following which she remembers it as a crucial part of her life. In her work, Burman finds herself assimilating her father’s history as well as her own, and in turn communicating with the audience in a new, multicultural language. She sums up her work by saying that it represents an “untold story about diaspora and migration”.
Many of the shortlisted commissions represent a variety of cultural backgrounds including Gabriel Challe’s Hornero. Shaped to reflect the national emblem of Argentina and Uruguay, the Rufous Hornero bird, Challe’s work focuses on both cultural and ecological conversations. Inspired by the shape of the bird’s mud nest and its determination to build them even on public buildings and amid bustling cities, Challe highlights how birds have evolved from their natural to their industrial surroundings. A contemporary work such as this on a plinth that shares its residential address with old Masters including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt van Rijn highlights the evolution of art over time. From being restricted to portraiture, canvas paintings and capturing the play between light and dark, art has evolved to being perched on a plinth representing a bird that stands for resilience and strength.
A similar message of strength can be seen from Samson Kambalu’s Antelope which currently sits on the Fourth Plinth. Unveiled on 28th September 2022, the sculpture brings to life a photograph taken in 1914. Taken outside a Church, the sculpture captures John Chilembwe, a central figure against colonial oppression in Africa along with John Chorley, a European missionary. Made from resin, stainless steel and bronze, Chorley’s statue is life-sized, while Chilembwe’s statue is much larger. This use of size to represent the imbalanced historical focus on certain narratives uses Chilembwe’s struggle to capture the British Empire’s colonial past. Placed next to Nelson’s Column and the four lions at Trafalgar Square, both the materials and design of this sculpture blend into the existing sculptures, highlighting the equal right for each of these narratives to be represented in this public space.
The prominence of this location and the importance of the Fourth Plinth in contemporary art exponentially increases the magnitude of the decision that the public has to make. While each piece represents a historical and cultural background, it is important that the chosen work represents the country at this moment in time and furthers its ability to express complex and dynamic conversations through the contemporary medium. If public art was ever important, it is unquestionably important now.
The full shortlist of nominees for the Fourth Plinth can be found on the website of the Mayor of London.
Choose your favourite before voting closes on 12th March 2024.
“You can’t hear the sound of the ice cream truck. We need it to be louder. Have you ever seen an ice cream truck without any sound?”, Chila Burman reacts to viewing her submission for the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square.
Located just outside the National Gallery, The Fourth Plinth has seen fourteen different pieces of contemporary art in the past 25 years. This northwest plinth was created in 1998 to hold an equestrian statue of William IV, but insufficient funds for the project left it standing empty for almost 150 years. In 1994, following a letter written by Prue Leith - then head of the Royal Society of Arts - it was decided that a diverse range of art would be showcased on the plinth, allowing it the opportunity to consistently engage with contemporary art.
Now, for 2026- 2028, seven pieces of work have made it to the final shortlist and the public is being asked to vote online for the one they would like to see commissioned. The shortlist includes Chila Kumari Singh Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You, Gabriel Challe’s Hornero, Ruth Ewan’s Believe in Discontent, Thomas J Price’s Ancient Feelings, Veronica Ryan’s Sweet Potatoes and Yams are Not the Same, Tschabalala Self’s Lady in Blue, Andra Ursuta’s Untitled.
Chila Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You is certainly one of the most striking ideas for the Fourth Plinth, depicting her father’s ice cream van which she states she “cleaned every single night”, with flames shooting out of one end and a Bengal tiger caught mid-motion on top of the van. For Burman, even though her design captures the whimsical nature of contemporary art, creating a sculpture that represents her family and their journey was still an emotional experience. Born and raised in Liverpool, the artist’s father moved to the UK from Calcutta and acquired the ice cream van when she was seven or eight years old, following which she remembers it as a crucial part of her life. In her work, Burman finds herself assimilating her father’s history as well as her own, and in turn communicating with the audience in a new, multicultural language. She sums up her work by saying that it represents an “untold story about diaspora and migration”.
Many of the shortlisted commissions represent a variety of cultural backgrounds including Gabriel Challe’s Hornero. Shaped to reflect the national emblem of Argentina and Uruguay, the Rufous Hornero bird, Challe’s work focuses on both cultural and ecological conversations. Inspired by the shape of the bird’s mud nest and its determination to build them even on public buildings and amid bustling cities, Challe highlights how birds have evolved from their natural to their industrial surroundings. A contemporary work such as this on a plinth that shares its residential address with old Masters including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt van Rijn highlights the evolution of art over time. From being restricted to portraiture, canvas paintings and capturing the play between light and dark, art has evolved to being perched on a plinth representing a bird that stands for resilience and strength.
A similar message of strength can be seen from Samson Kambalu’s Antelope which currently sits on the Fourth Plinth. Unveiled on 28th September 2022, the sculpture brings to life a photograph taken in 1914. Taken outside a Church, the sculpture captures John Chilembwe, a central figure against colonial oppression in Africa along with John Chorley, a European missionary. Made from resin, stainless steel and bronze, Chorley’s statue is life-sized, while Chilembwe’s statue is much larger. This use of size to represent the imbalanced historical focus on certain narratives uses Chilembwe’s struggle to capture the British Empire’s colonial past. Placed next to Nelson’s Column and the four lions at Trafalgar Square, both the materials and design of this sculpture blend into the existing sculptures, highlighting the equal right for each of these narratives to be represented in this public space.
The prominence of this location and the importance of the Fourth Plinth in contemporary art exponentially increases the magnitude of the decision that the public has to make. While each piece represents a historical and cultural background, it is important that the chosen work represents the country at this moment in time and furthers its ability to express complex and dynamic conversations through the contemporary medium. If public art was ever important, it is unquestionably important now.
The full shortlist of nominees for the Fourth Plinth can be found on the website of the Mayor of London.
Choose your favourite before voting closes on 12th March 2024.
“You can’t hear the sound of the ice cream truck. We need it to be louder. Have you ever seen an ice cream truck without any sound?”, Chila Burman reacts to viewing her submission for the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square.
Located just outside the National Gallery, The Fourth Plinth has seen fourteen different pieces of contemporary art in the past 25 years. This northwest plinth was created in 1998 to hold an equestrian statue of William IV, but insufficient funds for the project left it standing empty for almost 150 years. In 1994, following a letter written by Prue Leith - then head of the Royal Society of Arts - it was decided that a diverse range of art would be showcased on the plinth, allowing it the opportunity to consistently engage with contemporary art.
Now, for 2026- 2028, seven pieces of work have made it to the final shortlist and the public is being asked to vote online for the one they would like to see commissioned. The shortlist includes Chila Kumari Singh Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You, Gabriel Challe’s Hornero, Ruth Ewan’s Believe in Discontent, Thomas J Price’s Ancient Feelings, Veronica Ryan’s Sweet Potatoes and Yams are Not the Same, Tschabalala Self’s Lady in Blue, Andra Ursuta’s Untitled.
Chila Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You is certainly one of the most striking ideas for the Fourth Plinth, depicting her father’s ice cream van which she states she “cleaned every single night”, with flames shooting out of one end and a Bengal tiger caught mid-motion on top of the van. For Burman, even though her design captures the whimsical nature of contemporary art, creating a sculpture that represents her family and their journey was still an emotional experience. Born and raised in Liverpool, the artist’s father moved to the UK from Calcutta and acquired the ice cream van when she was seven or eight years old, following which she remembers it as a crucial part of her life. In her work, Burman finds herself assimilating her father’s history as well as her own, and in turn communicating with the audience in a new, multicultural language. She sums up her work by saying that it represents an “untold story about diaspora and migration”.
Many of the shortlisted commissions represent a variety of cultural backgrounds including Gabriel Challe’s Hornero. Shaped to reflect the national emblem of Argentina and Uruguay, the Rufous Hornero bird, Challe’s work focuses on both cultural and ecological conversations. Inspired by the shape of the bird’s mud nest and its determination to build them even on public buildings and amid bustling cities, Challe highlights how birds have evolved from their natural to their industrial surroundings. A contemporary work such as this on a plinth that shares its residential address with old Masters including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt van Rijn highlights the evolution of art over time. From being restricted to portraiture, canvas paintings and capturing the play between light and dark, art has evolved to being perched on a plinth representing a bird that stands for resilience and strength.
A similar message of strength can be seen from Samson Kambalu’s Antelope which currently sits on the Fourth Plinth. Unveiled on 28th September 2022, the sculpture brings to life a photograph taken in 1914. Taken outside a Church, the sculpture captures John Chilembwe, a central figure against colonial oppression in Africa along with John Chorley, a European missionary. Made from resin, stainless steel and bronze, Chorley’s statue is life-sized, while Chilembwe’s statue is much larger. This use of size to represent the imbalanced historical focus on certain narratives uses Chilembwe’s struggle to capture the British Empire’s colonial past. Placed next to Nelson’s Column and the four lions at Trafalgar Square, both the materials and design of this sculpture blend into the existing sculptures, highlighting the equal right for each of these narratives to be represented in this public space.
The prominence of this location and the importance of the Fourth Plinth in contemporary art exponentially increases the magnitude of the decision that the public has to make. While each piece represents a historical and cultural background, it is important that the chosen work represents the country at this moment in time and furthers its ability to express complex and dynamic conversations through the contemporary medium. If public art was ever important, it is unquestionably important now.
The full shortlist of nominees for the Fourth Plinth can be found on the website of the Mayor of London.
Choose your favourite before voting closes on 12th March 2024.
“You can’t hear the sound of the ice cream truck. We need it to be louder. Have you ever seen an ice cream truck without any sound?”, Chila Burman reacts to viewing her submission for the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square.
Located just outside the National Gallery, The Fourth Plinth has seen fourteen different pieces of contemporary art in the past 25 years. This northwest plinth was created in 1998 to hold an equestrian statue of William IV, but insufficient funds for the project left it standing empty for almost 150 years. In 1994, following a letter written by Prue Leith - then head of the Royal Society of Arts - it was decided that a diverse range of art would be showcased on the plinth, allowing it the opportunity to consistently engage with contemporary art.
Now, for 2026- 2028, seven pieces of work have made it to the final shortlist and the public is being asked to vote online for the one they would like to see commissioned. The shortlist includes Chila Kumari Singh Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You, Gabriel Challe’s Hornero, Ruth Ewan’s Believe in Discontent, Thomas J Price’s Ancient Feelings, Veronica Ryan’s Sweet Potatoes and Yams are Not the Same, Tschabalala Self’s Lady in Blue, Andra Ursuta’s Untitled.
Chila Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You is certainly one of the most striking ideas for the Fourth Plinth, depicting her father’s ice cream van which she states she “cleaned every single night”, with flames shooting out of one end and a Bengal tiger caught mid-motion on top of the van. For Burman, even though her design captures the whimsical nature of contemporary art, creating a sculpture that represents her family and their journey was still an emotional experience. Born and raised in Liverpool, the artist’s father moved to the UK from Calcutta and acquired the ice cream van when she was seven or eight years old, following which she remembers it as a crucial part of her life. In her work, Burman finds herself assimilating her father’s history as well as her own, and in turn communicating with the audience in a new, multicultural language. She sums up her work by saying that it represents an “untold story about diaspora and migration”.
Many of the shortlisted commissions represent a variety of cultural backgrounds including Gabriel Challe’s Hornero. Shaped to reflect the national emblem of Argentina and Uruguay, the Rufous Hornero bird, Challe’s work focuses on both cultural and ecological conversations. Inspired by the shape of the bird’s mud nest and its determination to build them even on public buildings and amid bustling cities, Challe highlights how birds have evolved from their natural to their industrial surroundings. A contemporary work such as this on a plinth that shares its residential address with old Masters including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt van Rijn highlights the evolution of art over time. From being restricted to portraiture, canvas paintings and capturing the play between light and dark, art has evolved to being perched on a plinth representing a bird that stands for resilience and strength.
A similar message of strength can be seen from Samson Kambalu’s Antelope which currently sits on the Fourth Plinth. Unveiled on 28th September 2022, the sculpture brings to life a photograph taken in 1914. Taken outside a Church, the sculpture captures John Chilembwe, a central figure against colonial oppression in Africa along with John Chorley, a European missionary. Made from resin, stainless steel and bronze, Chorley’s statue is life-sized, while Chilembwe’s statue is much larger. This use of size to represent the imbalanced historical focus on certain narratives uses Chilembwe’s struggle to capture the British Empire’s colonial past. Placed next to Nelson’s Column and the four lions at Trafalgar Square, both the materials and design of this sculpture blend into the existing sculptures, highlighting the equal right for each of these narratives to be represented in this public space.
The prominence of this location and the importance of the Fourth Plinth in contemporary art exponentially increases the magnitude of the decision that the public has to make. While each piece represents a historical and cultural background, it is important that the chosen work represents the country at this moment in time and furthers its ability to express complex and dynamic conversations through the contemporary medium. If public art was ever important, it is unquestionably important now.
The full shortlist of nominees for the Fourth Plinth can be found on the website of the Mayor of London.
Choose your favourite before voting closes on 12th March 2024.
“You can’t hear the sound of the ice cream truck. We need it to be louder. Have you ever seen an ice cream truck without any sound?”, Chila Burman reacts to viewing her submission for the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square.
Located just outside the National Gallery, The Fourth Plinth has seen fourteen different pieces of contemporary art in the past 25 years. This northwest plinth was created in 1998 to hold an equestrian statue of William IV, but insufficient funds for the project left it standing empty for almost 150 years. In 1994, following a letter written by Prue Leith - then head of the Royal Society of Arts - it was decided that a diverse range of art would be showcased on the plinth, allowing it the opportunity to consistently engage with contemporary art.
Now, for 2026- 2028, seven pieces of work have made it to the final shortlist and the public is being asked to vote online for the one they would like to see commissioned. The shortlist includes Chila Kumari Singh Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You, Gabriel Challe’s Hornero, Ruth Ewan’s Believe in Discontent, Thomas J Price’s Ancient Feelings, Veronica Ryan’s Sweet Potatoes and Yams are Not the Same, Tschabalala Self’s Lady in Blue, Andra Ursuta’s Untitled.
Chila Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You is certainly one of the most striking ideas for the Fourth Plinth, depicting her father’s ice cream van which she states she “cleaned every single night”, with flames shooting out of one end and a Bengal tiger caught mid-motion on top of the van. For Burman, even though her design captures the whimsical nature of contemporary art, creating a sculpture that represents her family and their journey was still an emotional experience. Born and raised in Liverpool, the artist’s father moved to the UK from Calcutta and acquired the ice cream van when she was seven or eight years old, following which she remembers it as a crucial part of her life. In her work, Burman finds herself assimilating her father’s history as well as her own, and in turn communicating with the audience in a new, multicultural language. She sums up her work by saying that it represents an “untold story about diaspora and migration”.
Many of the shortlisted commissions represent a variety of cultural backgrounds including Gabriel Challe’s Hornero. Shaped to reflect the national emblem of Argentina and Uruguay, the Rufous Hornero bird, Challe’s work focuses on both cultural and ecological conversations. Inspired by the shape of the bird’s mud nest and its determination to build them even on public buildings and amid bustling cities, Challe highlights how birds have evolved from their natural to their industrial surroundings. A contemporary work such as this on a plinth that shares its residential address with old Masters including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt van Rijn highlights the evolution of art over time. From being restricted to portraiture, canvas paintings and capturing the play between light and dark, art has evolved to being perched on a plinth representing a bird that stands for resilience and strength.
A similar message of strength can be seen from Samson Kambalu’s Antelope which currently sits on the Fourth Plinth. Unveiled on 28th September 2022, the sculpture brings to life a photograph taken in 1914. Taken outside a Church, the sculpture captures John Chilembwe, a central figure against colonial oppression in Africa along with John Chorley, a European missionary. Made from resin, stainless steel and bronze, Chorley’s statue is life-sized, while Chilembwe’s statue is much larger. This use of size to represent the imbalanced historical focus on certain narratives uses Chilembwe’s struggle to capture the British Empire’s colonial past. Placed next to Nelson’s Column and the four lions at Trafalgar Square, both the materials and design of this sculpture blend into the existing sculptures, highlighting the equal right for each of these narratives to be represented in this public space.
The prominence of this location and the importance of the Fourth Plinth in contemporary art exponentially increases the magnitude of the decision that the public has to make. While each piece represents a historical and cultural background, it is important that the chosen work represents the country at this moment in time and furthers its ability to express complex and dynamic conversations through the contemporary medium. If public art was ever important, it is unquestionably important now.
The full shortlist of nominees for the Fourth Plinth can be found on the website of the Mayor of London.
Choose your favourite before voting closes on 12th March 2024.
“You can’t hear the sound of the ice cream truck. We need it to be louder. Have you ever seen an ice cream truck without any sound?”, Chila Burman reacts to viewing her submission for the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square.
Located just outside the National Gallery, The Fourth Plinth has seen fourteen different pieces of contemporary art in the past 25 years. This northwest plinth was created in 1998 to hold an equestrian statue of William IV, but insufficient funds for the project left it standing empty for almost 150 years. In 1994, following a letter written by Prue Leith - then head of the Royal Society of Arts - it was decided that a diverse range of art would be showcased on the plinth, allowing it the opportunity to consistently engage with contemporary art.
Now, for 2026- 2028, seven pieces of work have made it to the final shortlist and the public is being asked to vote online for the one they would like to see commissioned. The shortlist includes Chila Kumari Singh Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You, Gabriel Challe’s Hornero, Ruth Ewan’s Believe in Discontent, Thomas J Price’s Ancient Feelings, Veronica Ryan’s Sweet Potatoes and Yams are Not the Same, Tschabalala Self’s Lady in Blue, Andra Ursuta’s Untitled.
Chila Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You is certainly one of the most striking ideas for the Fourth Plinth, depicting her father’s ice cream van which she states she “cleaned every single night”, with flames shooting out of one end and a Bengal tiger caught mid-motion on top of the van. For Burman, even though her design captures the whimsical nature of contemporary art, creating a sculpture that represents her family and their journey was still an emotional experience. Born and raised in Liverpool, the artist’s father moved to the UK from Calcutta and acquired the ice cream van when she was seven or eight years old, following which she remembers it as a crucial part of her life. In her work, Burman finds herself assimilating her father’s history as well as her own, and in turn communicating with the audience in a new, multicultural language. She sums up her work by saying that it represents an “untold story about diaspora and migration”.
Many of the shortlisted commissions represent a variety of cultural backgrounds including Gabriel Challe’s Hornero. Shaped to reflect the national emblem of Argentina and Uruguay, the Rufous Hornero bird, Challe’s work focuses on both cultural and ecological conversations. Inspired by the shape of the bird’s mud nest and its determination to build them even on public buildings and amid bustling cities, Challe highlights how birds have evolved from their natural to their industrial surroundings. A contemporary work such as this on a plinth that shares its residential address with old Masters including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt van Rijn highlights the evolution of art over time. From being restricted to portraiture, canvas paintings and capturing the play between light and dark, art has evolved to being perched on a plinth representing a bird that stands for resilience and strength.
A similar message of strength can be seen from Samson Kambalu’s Antelope which currently sits on the Fourth Plinth. Unveiled on 28th September 2022, the sculpture brings to life a photograph taken in 1914. Taken outside a Church, the sculpture captures John Chilembwe, a central figure against colonial oppression in Africa along with John Chorley, a European missionary. Made from resin, stainless steel and bronze, Chorley’s statue is life-sized, while Chilembwe’s statue is much larger. This use of size to represent the imbalanced historical focus on certain narratives uses Chilembwe’s struggle to capture the British Empire’s colonial past. Placed next to Nelson’s Column and the four lions at Trafalgar Square, both the materials and design of this sculpture blend into the existing sculptures, highlighting the equal right for each of these narratives to be represented in this public space.
The prominence of this location and the importance of the Fourth Plinth in contemporary art exponentially increases the magnitude of the decision that the public has to make. While each piece represents a historical and cultural background, it is important that the chosen work represents the country at this moment in time and furthers its ability to express complex and dynamic conversations through the contemporary medium. If public art was ever important, it is unquestionably important now.
The full shortlist of nominees for the Fourth Plinth can be found on the website of the Mayor of London.
Choose your favourite before voting closes on 12th March 2024.
“You can’t hear the sound of the ice cream truck. We need it to be louder. Have you ever seen an ice cream truck without any sound?”, Chila Burman reacts to viewing her submission for the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square.
Located just outside the National Gallery, The Fourth Plinth has seen fourteen different pieces of contemporary art in the past 25 years. This northwest plinth was created in 1998 to hold an equestrian statue of William IV, but insufficient funds for the project left it standing empty for almost 150 years. In 1994, following a letter written by Prue Leith - then head of the Royal Society of Arts - it was decided that a diverse range of art would be showcased on the plinth, allowing it the opportunity to consistently engage with contemporary art.
Now, for 2026- 2028, seven pieces of work have made it to the final shortlist and the public is being asked to vote online for the one they would like to see commissioned. The shortlist includes Chila Kumari Singh Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You, Gabriel Challe’s Hornero, Ruth Ewan’s Believe in Discontent, Thomas J Price’s Ancient Feelings, Veronica Ryan’s Sweet Potatoes and Yams are Not the Same, Tschabalala Self’s Lady in Blue, Andra Ursuta’s Untitled.
Chila Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You is certainly one of the most striking ideas for the Fourth Plinth, depicting her father’s ice cream van which she states she “cleaned every single night”, with flames shooting out of one end and a Bengal tiger caught mid-motion on top of the van. For Burman, even though her design captures the whimsical nature of contemporary art, creating a sculpture that represents her family and their journey was still an emotional experience. Born and raised in Liverpool, the artist’s father moved to the UK from Calcutta and acquired the ice cream van when she was seven or eight years old, following which she remembers it as a crucial part of her life. In her work, Burman finds herself assimilating her father’s history as well as her own, and in turn communicating with the audience in a new, multicultural language. She sums up her work by saying that it represents an “untold story about diaspora and migration”.
Many of the shortlisted commissions represent a variety of cultural backgrounds including Gabriel Challe’s Hornero. Shaped to reflect the national emblem of Argentina and Uruguay, the Rufous Hornero bird, Challe’s work focuses on both cultural and ecological conversations. Inspired by the shape of the bird’s mud nest and its determination to build them even on public buildings and amid bustling cities, Challe highlights how birds have evolved from their natural to their industrial surroundings. A contemporary work such as this on a plinth that shares its residential address with old Masters including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt van Rijn highlights the evolution of art over time. From being restricted to portraiture, canvas paintings and capturing the play between light and dark, art has evolved to being perched on a plinth representing a bird that stands for resilience and strength.
A similar message of strength can be seen from Samson Kambalu’s Antelope which currently sits on the Fourth Plinth. Unveiled on 28th September 2022, the sculpture brings to life a photograph taken in 1914. Taken outside a Church, the sculpture captures John Chilembwe, a central figure against colonial oppression in Africa along with John Chorley, a European missionary. Made from resin, stainless steel and bronze, Chorley’s statue is life-sized, while Chilembwe’s statue is much larger. This use of size to represent the imbalanced historical focus on certain narratives uses Chilembwe’s struggle to capture the British Empire’s colonial past. Placed next to Nelson’s Column and the four lions at Trafalgar Square, both the materials and design of this sculpture blend into the existing sculptures, highlighting the equal right for each of these narratives to be represented in this public space.
The prominence of this location and the importance of the Fourth Plinth in contemporary art exponentially increases the magnitude of the decision that the public has to make. While each piece represents a historical and cultural background, it is important that the chosen work represents the country at this moment in time and furthers its ability to express complex and dynamic conversations through the contemporary medium. If public art was ever important, it is unquestionably important now.
The full shortlist of nominees for the Fourth Plinth can be found on the website of the Mayor of London.
Choose your favourite before voting closes on 12th March 2024.
“You can’t hear the sound of the ice cream truck. We need it to be louder. Have you ever seen an ice cream truck without any sound?”, Chila Burman reacts to viewing her submission for the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square.
Located just outside the National Gallery, The Fourth Plinth has seen fourteen different pieces of contemporary art in the past 25 years. This northwest plinth was created in 1998 to hold an equestrian statue of William IV, but insufficient funds for the project left it standing empty for almost 150 years. In 1994, following a letter written by Prue Leith - then head of the Royal Society of Arts - it was decided that a diverse range of art would be showcased on the plinth, allowing it the opportunity to consistently engage with contemporary art.
Now, for 2026- 2028, seven pieces of work have made it to the final shortlist and the public is being asked to vote online for the one they would like to see commissioned. The shortlist includes Chila Kumari Singh Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You, Gabriel Challe’s Hornero, Ruth Ewan’s Believe in Discontent, Thomas J Price’s Ancient Feelings, Veronica Ryan’s Sweet Potatoes and Yams are Not the Same, Tschabalala Self’s Lady in Blue, Andra Ursuta’s Untitled.
Chila Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You is certainly one of the most striking ideas for the Fourth Plinth, depicting her father’s ice cream van which she states she “cleaned every single night”, with flames shooting out of one end and a Bengal tiger caught mid-motion on top of the van. For Burman, even though her design captures the whimsical nature of contemporary art, creating a sculpture that represents her family and their journey was still an emotional experience. Born and raised in Liverpool, the artist’s father moved to the UK from Calcutta and acquired the ice cream van when she was seven or eight years old, following which she remembers it as a crucial part of her life. In her work, Burman finds herself assimilating her father’s history as well as her own, and in turn communicating with the audience in a new, multicultural language. She sums up her work by saying that it represents an “untold story about diaspora and migration”.
Many of the shortlisted commissions represent a variety of cultural backgrounds including Gabriel Challe’s Hornero. Shaped to reflect the national emblem of Argentina and Uruguay, the Rufous Hornero bird, Challe’s work focuses on both cultural and ecological conversations. Inspired by the shape of the bird’s mud nest and its determination to build them even on public buildings and amid bustling cities, Challe highlights how birds have evolved from their natural to their industrial surroundings. A contemporary work such as this on a plinth that shares its residential address with old Masters including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt van Rijn highlights the evolution of art over time. From being restricted to portraiture, canvas paintings and capturing the play between light and dark, art has evolved to being perched on a plinth representing a bird that stands for resilience and strength.
A similar message of strength can be seen from Samson Kambalu’s Antelope which currently sits on the Fourth Plinth. Unveiled on 28th September 2022, the sculpture brings to life a photograph taken in 1914. Taken outside a Church, the sculpture captures John Chilembwe, a central figure against colonial oppression in Africa along with John Chorley, a European missionary. Made from resin, stainless steel and bronze, Chorley’s statue is life-sized, while Chilembwe’s statue is much larger. This use of size to represent the imbalanced historical focus on certain narratives uses Chilembwe’s struggle to capture the British Empire’s colonial past. Placed next to Nelson’s Column and the four lions at Trafalgar Square, both the materials and design of this sculpture blend into the existing sculptures, highlighting the equal right for each of these narratives to be represented in this public space.
The prominence of this location and the importance of the Fourth Plinth in contemporary art exponentially increases the magnitude of the decision that the public has to make. While each piece represents a historical and cultural background, it is important that the chosen work represents the country at this moment in time and furthers its ability to express complex and dynamic conversations through the contemporary medium. If public art was ever important, it is unquestionably important now.
The full shortlist of nominees for the Fourth Plinth can be found on the website of the Mayor of London.
Choose your favourite before voting closes on 12th March 2024.
“You can’t hear the sound of the ice cream truck. We need it to be louder. Have you ever seen an ice cream truck without any sound?”, Chila Burman reacts to viewing her submission for the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square.
Located just outside the National Gallery, The Fourth Plinth has seen fourteen different pieces of contemporary art in the past 25 years. This northwest plinth was created in 1998 to hold an equestrian statue of William IV, but insufficient funds for the project left it standing empty for almost 150 years. In 1994, following a letter written by Prue Leith - then head of the Royal Society of Arts - it was decided that a diverse range of art would be showcased on the plinth, allowing it the opportunity to consistently engage with contemporary art.
Now, for 2026- 2028, seven pieces of work have made it to the final shortlist and the public is being asked to vote online for the one they would like to see commissioned. The shortlist includes Chila Kumari Singh Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You, Gabriel Challe’s Hornero, Ruth Ewan’s Believe in Discontent, Thomas J Price’s Ancient Feelings, Veronica Ryan’s Sweet Potatoes and Yams are Not the Same, Tschabalala Self’s Lady in Blue, Andra Ursuta’s Untitled.
Chila Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You is certainly one of the most striking ideas for the Fourth Plinth, depicting her father’s ice cream van which she states she “cleaned every single night”, with flames shooting out of one end and a Bengal tiger caught mid-motion on top of the van. For Burman, even though her design captures the whimsical nature of contemporary art, creating a sculpture that represents her family and their journey was still an emotional experience. Born and raised in Liverpool, the artist’s father moved to the UK from Calcutta and acquired the ice cream van when she was seven or eight years old, following which she remembers it as a crucial part of her life. In her work, Burman finds herself assimilating her father’s history as well as her own, and in turn communicating with the audience in a new, multicultural language. She sums up her work by saying that it represents an “untold story about diaspora and migration”.
Many of the shortlisted commissions represent a variety of cultural backgrounds including Gabriel Challe’s Hornero. Shaped to reflect the national emblem of Argentina and Uruguay, the Rufous Hornero bird, Challe’s work focuses on both cultural and ecological conversations. Inspired by the shape of the bird’s mud nest and its determination to build them even on public buildings and amid bustling cities, Challe highlights how birds have evolved from their natural to their industrial surroundings. A contemporary work such as this on a plinth that shares its residential address with old Masters including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt van Rijn highlights the evolution of art over time. From being restricted to portraiture, canvas paintings and capturing the play between light and dark, art has evolved to being perched on a plinth representing a bird that stands for resilience and strength.
A similar message of strength can be seen from Samson Kambalu’s Antelope which currently sits on the Fourth Plinth. Unveiled on 28th September 2022, the sculpture brings to life a photograph taken in 1914. Taken outside a Church, the sculpture captures John Chilembwe, a central figure against colonial oppression in Africa along with John Chorley, a European missionary. Made from resin, stainless steel and bronze, Chorley’s statue is life-sized, while Chilembwe’s statue is much larger. This use of size to represent the imbalanced historical focus on certain narratives uses Chilembwe’s struggle to capture the British Empire’s colonial past. Placed next to Nelson’s Column and the four lions at Trafalgar Square, both the materials and design of this sculpture blend into the existing sculptures, highlighting the equal right for each of these narratives to be represented in this public space.
The prominence of this location and the importance of the Fourth Plinth in contemporary art exponentially increases the magnitude of the decision that the public has to make. While each piece represents a historical and cultural background, it is important that the chosen work represents the country at this moment in time and furthers its ability to express complex and dynamic conversations through the contemporary medium. If public art was ever important, it is unquestionably important now.
The full shortlist of nominees for the Fourth Plinth can be found on the website of the Mayor of London.
Choose your favourite before voting closes on 12th March 2024.
“You can’t hear the sound of the ice cream truck. We need it to be louder. Have you ever seen an ice cream truck without any sound?”, Chila Burman reacts to viewing her submission for the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square.
Located just outside the National Gallery, The Fourth Plinth has seen fourteen different pieces of contemporary art in the past 25 years. This northwest plinth was created in 1998 to hold an equestrian statue of William IV, but insufficient funds for the project left it standing empty for almost 150 years. In 1994, following a letter written by Prue Leith - then head of the Royal Society of Arts - it was decided that a diverse range of art would be showcased on the plinth, allowing it the opportunity to consistently engage with contemporary art.
Now, for 2026- 2028, seven pieces of work have made it to the final shortlist and the public is being asked to vote online for the one they would like to see commissioned. The shortlist includes Chila Kumari Singh Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You, Gabriel Challe’s Hornero, Ruth Ewan’s Believe in Discontent, Thomas J Price’s Ancient Feelings, Veronica Ryan’s Sweet Potatoes and Yams are Not the Same, Tschabalala Self’s Lady in Blue, Andra Ursuta’s Untitled.
Chila Burman’s The Smile You Send Returns to You is certainly one of the most striking ideas for the Fourth Plinth, depicting her father’s ice cream van which she states she “cleaned every single night”, with flames shooting out of one end and a Bengal tiger caught mid-motion on top of the van. For Burman, even though her design captures the whimsical nature of contemporary art, creating a sculpture that represents her family and their journey was still an emotional experience. Born and raised in Liverpool, the artist’s father moved to the UK from Calcutta and acquired the ice cream van when she was seven or eight years old, following which she remembers it as a crucial part of her life. In her work, Burman finds herself assimilating her father’s history as well as her own, and in turn communicating with the audience in a new, multicultural language. She sums up her work by saying that it represents an “untold story about diaspora and migration”.
Many of the shortlisted commissions represent a variety of cultural backgrounds including Gabriel Challe’s Hornero. Shaped to reflect the national emblem of Argentina and Uruguay, the Rufous Hornero bird, Challe’s work focuses on both cultural and ecological conversations. Inspired by the shape of the bird’s mud nest and its determination to build them even on public buildings and amid bustling cities, Challe highlights how birds have evolved from their natural to their industrial surroundings. A contemporary work such as this on a plinth that shares its residential address with old Masters including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt van Rijn highlights the evolution of art over time. From being restricted to portraiture, canvas paintings and capturing the play between light and dark, art has evolved to being perched on a plinth representing a bird that stands for resilience and strength.
A similar message of strength can be seen from Samson Kambalu’s Antelope which currently sits on the Fourth Plinth. Unveiled on 28th September 2022, the sculpture brings to life a photograph taken in 1914. Taken outside a Church, the sculpture captures John Chilembwe, a central figure against colonial oppression in Africa along with John Chorley, a European missionary. Made from resin, stainless steel and bronze, Chorley’s statue is life-sized, while Chilembwe’s statue is much larger. This use of size to represent the imbalanced historical focus on certain narratives uses Chilembwe’s struggle to capture the British Empire’s colonial past. Placed next to Nelson’s Column and the four lions at Trafalgar Square, both the materials and design of this sculpture blend into the existing sculptures, highlighting the equal right for each of these narratives to be represented in this public space.
The prominence of this location and the importance of the Fourth Plinth in contemporary art exponentially increases the magnitude of the decision that the public has to make. While each piece represents a historical and cultural background, it is important that the chosen work represents the country at this moment in time and furthers its ability to express complex and dynamic conversations through the contemporary medium. If public art was ever important, it is unquestionably important now.
The full shortlist of nominees for the Fourth Plinth can be found on the website of the Mayor of London.
Choose your favourite before voting closes on 12th March 2024.
