Fourth Plinth

The Mayor of London's Fourth Plinth is the site of an ambitious annual public art commission, at Trafalgar Square in central London. It was originally intended to hold an equestrian statue of William IV, but remained bare due to insufficient funds. For over 150 years the fate of the plinth was debated. In 1998, the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactueres and Commerce commissioned three contemporary sculptures to be displayed temporarily on the plinth. Shortly afterwards, a public enquiry reaffirmed ambitions for the annual commissions to remain. In 2003, the ownership of Trafalgar Square was transferred from Westminster City Council to the Mayor of London, and this marked the beginning of the Mayor of London's Fourth Plinth Commission, which commissions one ambitious public artwork each year.

Since 2022, the Fourth Plinth is programming partner of the London Sculpture Week, alongside Sculpture in the City, The Line and Frieze Sculpture.

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