Trafalgar Square: Fourth Plinth

Nelson's Ship in a Bottle.

Ever since Trafalgar Square was opened, in 1844, one of its plinths, situated in the northwest of the square, has remained empty. The other three plinths have statues of King George IV, General Sir Charles James Napier and Major-General Sir Henry Havelock.

It was supposed to have a statue of King William IV affixed, but a lack of funds left the plinth unadorned.

In 1998, the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce commissioned three contemporary sculptures to be temporarily displayed on the plinth. 

Shortly afterwards the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, commissioned a report to seek public opinion on what should happen with the fourth plinth.

The report recommended a rolling programme of temporary artworks rather than a permanent figure. 

Ownership of Trafalgar Square was transferred from Westminster City Council to the Mayor of London, in 2003, which marked the beginning of the Mayor of London's Fourth Plinth Commission.

'The World Turned Upside Down' by Mark Wallinger

An Upside Down World, in London.

Thursday September 10, 2020.

As I have said before, aimlessly wandering the streets of London can lead to some intriguing finds. So, you can imagine my surprise when I turned a corner and found myself face-to-face with the world, but turned on it's poles.

It stands on a small pedestrian plaza at Portugal Street, just down from 'The Old Curiosity Shop', near the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) building.

There is a plaque, that reads:

LSE is a place where people with different perspectives engage in

respectful debate about major issues of the world.

The World Turned Upside Down is a work of art by Mark Wallinger.

It is his representation of the world in 2019.

The designated borders, colours, and place names do not imply

endorsement by LSE concerning the legal status of any territory

or borders. There are many disputed borders and the artist has

indicated some of these with an asterisk.