As one of the most interesting revolving doors to keep an eye on in London, the moveable feast that is the Fourth Plinth has just unveiled its latest commission.
A crowd gathered around the space for public art that changes every two years in Trafalgar Square this morning (September 18), to be the first members of the public to catch sight of the latest piece in the artworks that have been changing ever since 1999.
Now, you can head over to the site to cast your eyes over the piece that will remain in place for the next two years: Mil Veces un Instante (A Thousand Times an Instant) by Teresa Margolles. It’s an incredibly striking design – Margolles’ piece is made up of plaster casts of the faces of 726 transexual, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people, who will now all be cast and recognised on London’s famous square. With trans voices so often batted away and ignored in place of intolerance, it’s an important championing of their lives and place in the city at one of the most viewed pieces of public art.
Teresa Margolles made up the casts in Mexico (both in Juárez and Mexico City) and London, working alongside community groups in both countries including Micro Rainbow and QUEERCIRCLE. She created each cast by applying plater onto the face of the participant, which also means the infusion of their hair and skin cells on top of their facial features!
Wait, so what is the fourth plinth?
Mil Veces un Instante (A Thousand Times an Instant) by Teresa Margolles is the 15th commission for the Fourth Plinth, and takes over from Antelope by Samson Kambalu.
The Fourth (and northwest) Plinth of Trafalgar Square was originally due to be reserved for a statue of King William IV, but the money for this simply ran out at the time! It lay empty, and its use was a source of debate for 150 years, until in 1998, the RSA commissioned three temporary sculptures to sit on the plinth. Now, it changes up every two years – giving us the giddy excitement of what’s next on the square!
Read more about Mil Veces un Instante (A Thousand Times an Instant) by Teresa Margolles here.