Romanian artist shortlisted for Trafalgar Square’s next Fourth Plinth in London, voting now open

Romanian artist Andra Ursuța, along with six other artists, has been shortlisted for the Fourth Plinth, an art installation located in London’s Trafalgar Square. The other six shortlisted artists are Chila Kumari Singh Burman, Gabriel Chaile, Ruth Ewan, Thomas J Price, Veronica Ryan, and Tschabalala Self.

Every two years, a different artist is exhibited at the location. The artist is chosen through a public vote. Those voting can also choose the artwork to be displayed.

According to an article published in The Guardian, “Untitled, by Ursuţa, presents a hollow, lifesized figure on a horse covered in a shroud and cast in a slime-green resin, which is meant to embody multiple histories of public sculpture and commemoration at a time when there is increasing debate about the use of public space.”

On the official page of the competition, the work of art is described as hovering at the edge of visibility. “Is it yet to be uncovered? Or is it an already canceled public monument – a ghost of history, a parody of itself?” - the entry notes.

The two winning ideas will be announced in March and installed on the Fourth Plinth in 2026 and 2028, respectively. The next sculpture on the plinth has already been announced as Improntas (Imprints) by Teresa Margolles, which will be installed this September.

Born in Salonta, Romania, in 1979, Andra Ursuța lives in London and New York. She has gained recognition for her inventive sculptural work that mines the darker undercurrents of contemporary society. Her art draws from memory, nostalgia, art history, and popular culture. Andra Ursuța’s art has also been exhibited at the Venice Art Biennale in recent years, in the main exhibition.

(Photo source: London.gov.uk)