On 10 September, New York artist Tschbala Self will unveil her piece Lady in Blue on Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth.
This will be the 16th commission in a programme that has turned one of London’s most well-known landmarks into a contemporary art showcase.
The Fourth Plinth has become a prestigious public art space since its launch in 1998.
Located on Trafalgar Square, the site has hosted a series of artworks, attracting millions of visitors.
Self’s Lady in Blue will replace Mil Veces un Instante (A Thousand Times in an Instant) by Mexican artist Teresa Margolles, which currently sits on the plinth.
Made of bronze and finished with a Lapis Lazuli blue patina, the artist describes the sculpture as a tribute to a young urban woman moving confidently towards the future.
Rather than representing an idealised figure or historical icon, the work hopes to capture the experience of ordinary people.
Speaking about the commission, Self said that Lady in Blue was inspired a desire to bring a contemporary “everywoman” to Trafalgar Square.
She explained that the figure is not someone to be worshipped, but a symbol of collective progress and possibility.
The selection of Self’s proposal followed an extensive review process, and she was chosen by the independent Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group, which was chaired by cultural commentator and curator Ekow Eshun OBE.
The public were consulted in the selection process, with more than 10,000 public comments submitted on the shortlisted artworks, helping inform the final recommendations of the commissioners.
Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, said that the sculpture’s confident portrayal of a young woman would create a compelling dialogue between contemporary life and the historic surroundings of Trafalgar Square.
As Lady in Blue prepares to take its place inTrafalgar Square, it continues the Fourth Plinth tradition of expanding the definition of who and what deserves recognition and representation in public spaces.
Featured image credit: James O Jenkins
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