Fourth Plinth shortlist for 2026 and 2028 revealed: discover the artists and their designs

Shortlist for Fourth Plinth 2026 and 2028 spot unveiled, seven artists compete for coveted honour.

3. Chila Kumari Singh Burman (b. 1957, Liverpool), The Smile You Send Returns To You, 2024. Photo by James O Jenkins.

The shortlist for the next Fourth Plinth commissions has been announced, stirring excitement as seven esteemed artists vie for the prestigious spot. Chila Kumari Singh Burman, Gabriel Chaile, Ruth Ewan, Thomas J Price, Veronica Ryan, Tschabalala Self, and Andra Ursuţa have each submitted compelling proposals, currently on view at the National Gallery until 17 March 2024.

Nestled in Trafalgar Square, the Fourth Plinth serves as a platform for cutting-edge artistry. Since its inception in 1999 with Mark Wallinger's Ecce Homo, it's been a platform for diverse creative expressions. Currently, visitors can admire Samson Kambalu's thought-provoking work, Antelope.

Veronica Ryan (b. 1956, Monserrat), Sweet Potatoes and Yams are Not the Same, 2024. Photo by James O Jenkins.

Ruth Ewan (b. 1980, Aberdeen), Believe in Discontent, 2024. Photo by James O Jenkins.

Among the shortlisted proposals, Chila Kumari Singh Burman's The Smile You Send Returns to You offers a poignant narrative of her father's journey to the UK from India aboard the HMS Battory, featuring his ice cream van, ‘The Rocket,’ as a central motif. Gabriel Chaile's Hornero celebrates the Rufous Hornero bird, a national emblem of Argentina, with a sculpture mimicking the shape of its nest, reminiscent of an old wood-burning oven.

Tschabalala Self (b. 1990, New York), Lady in Blue , 2024. Photo by James O Jenkins.

Ruth Ewan's Believe in Discontent challenges conventional notions of sculpture versus ornamentation, with a sculpture modelled on a mass-produced ornament of a black cat, reflecting on the Square’s role in the history of social change. Thomas J Price's Ancient Feelings offers a collective community portrait, depicting a fictional woman amalgamated from historic sources in monumental golden bronze.

Thomas J Price (b. 1981, London), Ancient Feelings , 2024. Photo by James O Jenkins.

Veronica Ryan's Sweet Potatoes and Yams are Not the Same presents a reflection on global conversations, featuring a sweet potato island to represent the diversity of Trafalgar Square. Tschabalala Self's Lady in Blue pays homage to a young, metropolitan woman of colour, aiming to bring a contemporary 'everywoman' to the Square. Andra Ursuţa's Untitled embodies multiple histories of public sculpture and commemoration, with a hollow, life-sized person on a horse covered in a shroud and cast in slime-green resin.

With public feedback shaping the final selection process, these proposals promise to continue the Fourth Plinth's legacy of igniting conversations and inspiring contemplation in the heart of the city.

Previous Fourth Plinth Commissions 

1999: Ecce Homo by Mark Wallinger 

2000: Regardless of History by Bill Woodrow 

2001: Monument by Dame Rachel Whiteread 

2005: Alison Lapper Pregnant by Marc Quinn 

2007: Model for a Hotel by Thomas Schuette 

2009: One & Other by Sir Antony Gormley OBE 

2010: Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle by Yinka Shonibare CBE 

2012: Powerless Structures, Fig 101 by Elmgreen & Dragset 

2013: Hahn/Cock by Katharina Fritsch 

2015: Gift Horse by Hans Haacke 

2016: Really Good by David Shrigley OBE 

2018: The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist by Michael Rakowitz 

2020: THE END by Heather Phillipson 

2022: Antelope by Samson Kambalu 

The Fourth Plinth Commission Shortlist is on show at the National Gallery now.

Date: 19 February – 17 March 2024. Location: The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN. Price: Free. Website: nationalgallery.org.uk

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