A shortlist of show-stoppers
With a shortlist of three Turner Prize winners and one nominee, it's perhaps inevitable the six proposals for Trafalgar Square's empty fourth plinth are show-stoppers. One, however, is bound to dominate discussions.
Antony Gormley's model, on display at the National Gallery with the five other maquettes, isn't immediately striking. Yet his proposal might rattle a few cages: Gormley plans to make his statue out of 8,760 volunteers who will each stand for an hour on the plinth over the course of 12 months.
It could be criticised as gimmicky, but Gormley's One And Other would break down the barrier between spectator and subject. Apart from Tracey Emin - who has opted for a group of meerkats huddled together - Gormley is the only artist to choose a figurative approach.
Three refer to the plinth's location in the shadow of Nelson's Column: Jeremy Deller aims to present the spoils of war Roman-style by displaying the remains of a car destroyed in Iraq; Yinka Shonibare proposes a replica of Nelson's HMS Victory in a giant glass bottle; while Bob and Roberta Smith's design is an illuminated peace sign powered by the sun and wind.
None of the shortlisted entries have the poignance of Marc Quinn's Alison Lapper Pregnant but they each pack enough of a punch to help reinvigorate public art.
Until Mar 30, National Gallery, Trafalgar Square WC2, daily 10am to 6pm (Wed to 9pm), free. Tel: 020 7747 2885. Tube: Leicester Square/Charing Cross
The Fourth Plinth Commission: New Proposals Exhibition
The National Gallery
Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN
