London Mayor to Keep Art on Fourth Plinth

By ARTINFO

Published: May 30, 2008

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LONDON—Contemporary art's place on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square is secure again, now that newly elected London mayor Boris Johnson has withdrawn his support for a permanent statue to honor British war hero Keith Park, reports the Guardian.

During his mayoral campaign, Boris Johnson supported using the highly visible space to celebrate the largely unsung New Zealand-born RAF commander, who was instrumental in the Battle of Britain.

Now he has announced that while the location would be "a wonderful spot" for the memorial, "There are also outstanding commitments to exhibit contemporary sculpture on the fourth plinth. I recognize that this revolving program has proved very popular with the public and I welcome the important contribution it has made in shaping public debate about contemporary art." He says he's exploring other possible locations for the planned Keith Park statue.

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A panel is due to announce within weeks the next artist to be given the coveted spot. The shortlist includes Jeremy Deller, Antony Gormley, Tracey Emin, and Yinka Shonibare.

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