Tschabalala Self and Andra Ursuţa were announced as the artists whose sculptures will be installed on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square in 2026 and 2028 respectively.
It has been announced by the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group that artists Tschabalala Self and Andra Ursuţa will have their work displayed on the Fourth Plinth in the next few years. Their work was selected from a shortlist which included Chila Kumari Singh Burman; Gabriel Chaile; Ruth Ewan; Thomas J Price and Veronica Ryan.
Each of the winning artworks were chosen by the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group, chaired by Ekow Eshun. The public were invited to have their say, which informed the decision of the commissioning group.
Lady in Blue by Tschabalala Self pays homage to a young, metropolitan woman of colour inspired by a desire to bring a contemporary ‘everywoman’ to Trafalgar Square. Made of bronze, the work will be patinated with Lapis Lazuli blue, a rare and refined pigment that has been used since antiquity.
Untitled by Andra Ursuţa sees the artist present a hollow, life-sized person on a horse covered in a shroud and cast in a slime-green resin. The sculpture embodies multiple histories of public sculpture and commemoration at a time when there is increasing debate about the use of public space.
2024 marks the 25th anniversary since the the first work, Ecce Homo by Mark Wallinger, was unveiled in 1999. Fourteen works have been displayed on the iconic site to date, with Samson Kambalu’s Antelope currently in place. Improntas (Imprints) by Teresa Margolles has already been announced as the next sculpture on the Fourth Plinth and will be installed in September 2024.
The maquettes of the shortlisted artworks are on display at the National Gallery until 17 March 2024. The works are available to view online at www.london.gov.uk/fourthplinth and on Bloomberg Connects, a free app that allows users to access museums, galleries and cultural spaces around the world anytime, anywhere.