According to Mayor’s office, the Trafalgar Square will continue to be used to display art despite calls for a permanent Queen Elizabeth tribute following her passing.

AceShowbiz -A statue of the late Queen Elizabeth will not be displayed in Trafalgar Square for the foreseeable future. There have been calls for a permanent tribute to be erected on the fourth plinth of the London landmark following the death of the monarch earlier this month, but the Mayor of London’s office have insisted it will continue to be used to showcase temporary pieces of modern art, as it has been since 1999.

“The Fourth Plinth will continue to showcase new works by world-class artists for the foreseeable future. There are planned Fourth Plinth exhibits for the next four years. Samson Kambalu‘s new commission, Antelope, will be in situ until Sept 2024,” a spokesperson told the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

But the office insisted they would be supportive of a statue to the late monarch elsewhere in the city. The representative added, “A statue of the Queen at a suitable location in London is a matter for the Royal family to consider, and of course the Greater London Authority stands ready to support them in their wishes.”

The fourth plinth was originally intended to support a statue of William IV but it has been empty since the mid-19th century. It currently houses artist Samson Kambalu’s anti-colonialist sculpture of pastor John Chilembwe, who let a 1915 revolt against British rule in Nyasaland, which is now known as Malawi.

The commission which will follow in 2024 is by Teresa Margolles and depicts the faces of 850 transgender people. A new artwork is exhibited roughly every two years after the Fourth Plinth Commission whittles down a longlist of proposals to a shortlist of sixth.

The Mayor then approves the winning proposal and it is funded by the Greater London Authority at a cost of £140,000 plus a £30,000 artist’s fee.

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