What is on the Fourth Plinth?
From
1841 until 1999 there was nothing on the Fourth Plinth in the north-west
of Trafalgar Square, and it was sometimes
referred to as the 'empty plinth'. It is now the location for contemporary
art works, commissioned specially from leading artists, which are housed
on the plinth for a year or two each. The choice of works is led by the
Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group.
The plinth is currently empty; from 6 July 2009 it will
be home to Antony Gormley's One & Other.
Thomas Schütte’s
Model for a Hotel, pictured above, was unveiled
in November 2007 and occupied the plinth until the end of May 2009.
'This is only the second commission since the Mayor took over responsibility
for the plinth, but already the rolling programme is starting to feel
like something that people can look forward to as they do the installations
in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern.' (Rachel Cook, Observer, 4 November
2007)