The much-anticipated new commission for Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth, “Gift Horse” by Cologne-based artist Hans Haacke, has been unveiled by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. “Gift Horse” is the tenth sculpture to be unveiled as part of the Fourth Plinth Programme which invites world-class artists to make wonderful new works for the centre of the capital city.Haacke’s “Gift Horse” is a sculpture of a skeleton of a horse with an electronic ribbon displaying a live ticker of the London Stock Exchange attached to its front leg, “establishing a link between power, money, and history,” according to the Mayor’s press release. The work is derived from an etching by the famous English painter George Stubbs and is also references a statue of William IV on horseback that was originally planned for the empty plinth in 1841.The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: “As Hans Haacke’s take on the equestrian statue trots into Trafalgar Square, it brings another reason for Londoners and tourists to visit this cultural landmark. Gift Horse is a startlingly original comment on the relationship between art and commerce and I hope it will stimulate as much debate as the other works that have appeared on the Fourth Plinth.”Ekow Eshun, Chair of the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group, said: “Hans Haacke’s Gift Horse is an important, arresting sculpture. It asks questions about the role of money and power in modern London. And it marks the Fourth Plinth programme’s continued commitment to bring the work of leading British and international artists to the heart of the city and into dialogue with the public.”Follow @UK_ARTINFO
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