The details — and date — of the latest art installation to grace Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth have been announced.
It was revealed back in 2024 that Tschabalala Self’s Lady in Blue would be the next artwork in the world-famous square. We now know that it’ll be unveiled in September 2026, replacing the current installation, Mil Veces un Instante (A Thousand Times in an Instant) by Teresa Margolles.
Lady in Blue is made of bronze and patinated with lapis lazuli blue, a rare and refined pigment that has been used since antiquity. The sculpture represents “a young, metropolitan woman of colour”, designed to bring “a contemporary ‘everywoman’ to Trafalgar Square”.
Tschabalala Self said:
My work Lady in Blue will bring to Trafalgar Square a woman that many can relate to. She is not an idol to venerate or a historic figurehead to commemorate. She is a woman striding forward into our collective future with ambition and purpose. She is a Londoner, who represents the city’s spirit. I have London to thank for so many milestones in my practice. I had my first institutional show here, and later the first presentation of my first major painting series. The city has truly supported my artistic development and is the best possible home for this powerful figure.
From 2028, Andra Ursuţa’s Untitled will take over the coveted spot. Both artworks were chosen from a shortlist back in 2024, with the public invited to have their say, and the final decision made by the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group. Find out about every artwork which has graced the plinth so far.
