Fourth Plinth Shortlist Works Unveiled

LONDON—Six shortlisted artworks in competition for the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square have been unveiled and are on display in the National Gallery in London until March 30, reports the BBC.

Among the competitors are The Spoils of War, a burnt-out car from Iraq by Jeremy Deller; Sky Plinth, an arrangement of five concave mirrors reflecting the sky by Anish Kapoor; a sculpture of a group of meerkats by Tracey Emin; a scale replica of Admiral Lord Nelson's HMS Victory in a giant glass bottle by Yinka Shonibare; and a wind-and-solar-powered creation by Bob and Roberta Smith. Anthony Gormley proposes having members of the public stand on the plinth for an hour at a time to occupy it continuously for the year-long installation. The winner will be announced in May and installed in 2009.

Originally planned for the fourth plinth was a permanent statue of King William IV, but it was never realized due to a lack of funds. In 2003, London Mayor Ken Livingstone backed plans for it to be used as an ever changing display. Currently on view is Thomas Schutte's Model for a Hotel 2007, an eight-ton, 16-foot sculpture of colored glass.