May 25-The new commission for the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square has been unveiled. The work, by leading Anglo-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare, features a replica of Nelson s flagship HMS Victory in a plastic bottle measuring 4.7m in length and 2.8m in diameter.
The bottle itself was, however, produced by an Italian aquarium specialist because no UK firm could be found to handle the job.
When we approached a number of UK manufacturers they felt they were not able to produce the scale of the bottle with its specific shape and seamless curves, said a spokeswoman for the artist. The only fabricators who felt confident answering the brief were based in the USA and Italy.
The artwork is the first commission on the Fourth Plinth to reflect specifically on the historical symbolism of Trafalgar Square, which commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, and links directly with Nelson s column. It is also the first commission by a black British artist.
The ship's 37 large sails are made of patterned textiles commonly associated with African dress and symbolic of African identity and independence. According to Shonibare by tying together historical and global threads, the work reflects on the legacy of British colonialism and its expansion in trade and Empire, made possible through the freedom of the seas and new trade routes that Nelson s victory provided.
The bottle itself was, however, produced by an Italian aquarium specialist because no UK firm could be found to handle the job.
When we approached a number of UK manufacturers they felt they were not able to produce the scale of the bottle with its specific shape and seamless curves, said a spokeswoman for the artist. The only fabricators who felt confident answering the brief were based in the USA and Italy.
The artwork is the first commission on the Fourth Plinth to reflect specifically on the historical symbolism of Trafalgar Square, which commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, and links directly with Nelson s column. It is also the first commission by a black British artist.
The ship's 37 large sails are made of patterned textiles commonly associated with African dress and symbolic of African identity and independence. According to Shonibare by tying together historical and global threads, the work reflects on the legacy of British colonialism and its expansion in trade and Empire, made possible through the freedom of the seas and new trade routes that Nelson s victory provided.
