"Powerless structures, fig. 101"
Elmgreen and Dragset
Trafalgar Square
Most of my time these days go to organizing practical things for the Gallery, so I have to apologize for not being more up to date on my blogging. Here is therefore a quick post about the new sculpture that is up at Trafalgar Square. The Norwegian-Danish duo is known for their sharp and humoristic pieces. This time they got their chance to show their ideas at the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square an empty pedestal that is being used as a platform for contemporary art and changed out every 18 months. Taking over from artists like Gormley and Yinka Shonibare, Elmgreen and Dragset added their statue the 23rd of February and it will be standing until April next year.
The golden bronze boy on the rocking horse is a fun reflection to the parallel statue of King George IV that is proudly sitting on his horse close by. The boy rides victoriously but is still on a stand still as a reflection of the new area of Britain? Not the war hungry colonists anymore but more playful and perhaps responsibility for other parts of the world is on a hold. There are many ways to interpret this rather simple sculpture, but it does tickle my heart.
"Why do we have this tradition to put people on horse back if they have won a battle? What do we want to say by doing that? We thought maybe we should celebrate some generations to come and hope that there will be a future where we won't have to have so many war monuments," Elmgren and Dragset (To the Telegraph)
With that I am riding into the city, unfortunately not on a horse
but the rather convenient double decker bus...
With Love
Kristin
Beautiful sculpture!
ReplyDeletexoxox,
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It's quite precious looking, but I do enjoy it's meaning and symbolism, I think in many ways its quite true!! I hope you have a marvelous week!! xx
ReplyDeletehe looks so strong from the back.
ReplyDeletethere is a look of defiance to me.
wasn't the reason they were on a horse was because wars/battles were literally fought on horseback? later it became symbolic of that heroism.
but yes, like the message of poking fun, or seriously questioning where we're headed.
What a precious structure...I love the idea of not focusing so much on war, but looking ahead!
ReplyDeleteIt's a good quoestion. I makes me think. But I love horses. I would like to be scalpoured on a horse's back, one day. Not because I won a battle -mostly because I lost a few and still I can proudly sit on a horse's back ; )
ReplyDeleteThe statue is incredible and fun. I suppose we don't go to war on horses, now, so they do not signify a part of the victory .... but tanks would look ominous and one could not see the returning hero unless he/she popped her head out at the top! Yes, the horse is far more 'user friendly'! Especially a rocking horse! ... on which, incidentally, one goes nowhere fast, except in the imagination ... so 'ride on rocking horse' is what I say.
ReplyDeleteIt may be because the thought of a noble night on a horse might be more appealing than the one of a soldier on a truck or a tank...who knows...
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