Child on Rocking Horse and Giant Cockerel chosen for Fourth Plinth
14 JANUARY 2011
Elmgreen & Dragset and Katharina Fritsch were announced today by Mayor of London, Boris Johnson as the winning artists of the next two commissions for the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, London.
Elmgreen & Dragset’s, Powerless Structures, Fig.101, will be unveiled in 2012. The sculpture portrays a boy astride his rocking horse and will be cast in bronze. The child is elevated to the status of a historical hero in the context of the iconography of Trafalgar Square. Instead of acknowledging the heroism of the powerful, the work celebrates the heroism of growing up and gently questions the tradition for monuments predicated on military victory or defeat. In this case there is not yet a history to commemorate – only a future to hope for.
Katharina Fritsch’s proposal Hahn / Cock is a giant cockerel in ultramarine blue. In the setting of the square this extraordinary animal, its unnatural scale and bold colour, renders the situation unreal, bringing a sense of hallucination and uncertainty to the genteel Georgian architecture. The cockerel, a popular motif in modernist art, symbolises regeneration, awakening and strength. The sculpture will be unveiled in 2013.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: "All of the shortlisted artists show what an extraordinary crucible the Fourth Plinth is for contemporary art. It continues to spark the imagination and there has been a tremendous response from the public. As we head towards 2012 - a pivotal year for culture as well as sport - these witty and enigmatic creations underline London's position as one of the most exciting cities for art and are sure to keep people talking."
The selection was made by the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group chaired by Ekow Eshun. Ekow Eshun said: "Elmgreen and Dragset and Katherina Fritsch are distinguished artists with major international reputations. Their selection further underlines the importance and reputation of the Fourth Plinth as the most significant public art commission in Britain. Both have created imaginative and arresting artworks that fully respond to the uniqueness of their location and I can't wait to see their sculptures in Trafalgar Square in 2012 and 2013."
Moira Sinclair, London Executive Director of Arts Council England said: “The Fourth Plinth continues to provide a wonderful platform, creating a shared moment amid the hustle of city life for thousands of Londoners and visitors alike to be intrigued, to think about their environment afresh and to experience the very best of contemporary art. We are pleased to continue our partnership with Mayor in recognition of the value we all place on the role of the arts in London and we offer our congratulations to Elmgreen and Dragset and Katharina Fritsch; worthy winning commissions in what is now recognised as a world class arts programme.”
The Fourth Plinth Programme is funded by the Mayor of London with support from Arts Council England and sees new artworks being selected for the vacant plinth in a rolling programme of new commissions. A key element of the Fourth Plinth Programme is to involve the public in debate about contemporary art in our public spaces. 17,000 people commented on the shortlisted proposals on cards at the proposals exhibition at St Martin-in-the-Fields last year and via the website following the unveiling of the proposals.
ARTISTS’ BIOGRAPHIES
Elmgreen & Dragset
Elmgreen & Dragset have been working together since 1995. They are based in Berlin and in London. They are best known for their Prada Marfa boutique in the Texan desert and their two pavilions contribution "The Collectors" to the last edition of the Venice Biennial. The artist duo has also had numerous projects in London. In 2006 Serpentine Gallery hosted their "Welfare Show" and in 2008 the artists collaborated with The Old Vic theatre on the play "Drama Queens". Last summer visitors could experience several works by Elmgreen & Dragset at the Hayward Gallery in the exhibition "New Decor" and in 2003 they were the first artists to do a project in Tate Modern's Level 2 series. In 2013 V&A will show a project by them.
Katharina Fritsch
Born in 1956 in Essen, Germany, Katharina Fritsch lives and works in Dusseldorf. Her sculpture plays on the tension between reality and apparition, between the familiar and the surreal or uncanny. Her iconic images, installations and sound works imprint themselves of the viewer’s mind. Singular forms are often used repeatedly to create a psychotic proliferation. She represented Germany in the 46th Venice Biennale and has had many solo exhibitions including Dia Center for the Arts, New York (1993), SF MOMA (1996), Museum fur Gegenwartskunst, Basel (1997), Tate Modern, London (2001), K21, Dusseldorf (2002) and a survey exhibition at Kunsthaus Zurich and Deichtorhallen Hamburg (2009). Katharina Fritsch is represented by Matthew Marks Gallery, New York and White Cube, London.
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
1. THE FOURTH PLINTH PROGRAMME
The Fourth Plinth Programme is funded by the Mayor of London with support from Arts Council England and sees new artworks being selected for the vacant plinth in a rolling programme of new commissions. The scheme was initiated in 1998 by the RSA with the support of the Cass Sculpture Foundation. In 1999 responsibility for Trafalgar Square was transferred to the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority.
The first new commission for the Fourth Plinth under the auspices of the Mayor of London's Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group was Marc Quinn's sculpture, Alison Lapper Pregnant, unveiled in a public ceremony in September 2005. It was followed by Thomas Schutte's Model for a Hotel in 2007 and by Antony Gormley’s One & Other in 2009. Yinka Shonibare’s sculpture Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle is currently on the plinth and will remain there through 2011. Previous commissions have been Ecce Homo by Mark Wallinger (1999), Regardless of History by Bill Woodrow (2000) and Monument by Rachel Whiteread (2001). Arts Council England has been a funding partner supporting the programme since 2003.
The Fourth Plinth Programme is led by the Cultural Strategy team, within the Mayor of London's Office, under the guidance of the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group (FPCG). The FPCG recommends contemporary works for the Fourth Plinth. More information is available at the website: www.fourthplinth.co.uk
A key element of the Fourth Plinth Programme is to involve the public in debate about contemporary art in our public spaces. This includes: exhibitions, conferences and talks including a community & education programme.
The Fourth Plinth Schools Award Competition is open to all primary & secondary schools in London and provides an opportunity for students to design an artwork inspired by the contemporary art commissions for the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square.
2. THE FOURTH PLINTH COMMISSIONING GROUP
Chair: Ekow Eshun
Members:
Iwona Blazwick, Director of Whitechapel Gallery
Mick Brundle, Principal, Arup Associates
Tamsin Dillon, Head, Art on the Underground
Grayson Perry, Artist
Richard Rieser Director, Disability Equality in Education
Jon Snow, Broadcaster
Julie Lomax, Director, Visual Arts, Arts Council England
Project Director for the Mayor of London: Justine Simons
Media Enquiries
Erica Bolton/ Tamsin Selby, Bolton & Quinn, 020 7221 5000
erica@boltonquinn.com, or tamsin@boltonquinn.com
Ben McKnight, Greater London Authority, 020 7983 4071
