Voting on the Fourth Plinth sculpture - artwork about women's history/suffrage

[BlunderMifflin]

I'm posting this link to the voting form in case anyone was unaware of it like me. The shortlist for the 2026 and 2028 sculptures includes 'Believe in Discontent' by Ruth Ewan - a black cat sculpture representing "how women from the suffrage movement would be portrayed as cats in the media as an insult." and reflecting the square's role in history. The name is taken from words spoken by Charlotte Despard, a suffragist who would often address crowds in Trafalgar Square.

www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/arts-and-culture/current-culture-projects/fourth-plinth-trafalgar-square/fourth-plinth-commissions/your-fourth-plinth-vote

They will ask your gender but if you select 'prefer to self identify' a box will appear for you to type in your answer.

You can see all seven of the shortlisted artworks here:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68316338

Great stuff, thank you! We definitely need more statues of cats.

Also love Andra Ursuta's sculpture.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand I do like a free text box to 'self identify' what I think of 'gender'.

That was CAThartic! It's always good to have room to write what you think.

Done, lovely - enjoyed that. I self-identified as "Woman - Adult Female Human"!!!

Cat is lovely and can be enjoyed on many levels - it has got my vote

The ice cream van is my second favourite.

I identified as a black cat

I would have voted for the cat regardless as it's beautiful!

Thanks OP for posting about this.

Voted - identified as an Adult Human Female too

So this is to vote for the artwork to replace the upcoming artwork featuring 850 trans women?

Yes, it would be the next one.

‘What is your gender’ indeed.

I am willing to bet that the winner will be some butt ugly piece that is attacking someone/idea/culture/women.

The winning sculpture will either go up in 2026 or 2028 I believe.

I'll vote for the cat but I hope its not the ''Mary Wollstonecraft perched atop a giant colon'' statue all over again.

How can you not vote for a cat?

I like this article from Spiked

https://www.spiked-online.com/2024/02/22/the-woke-colonisation-of-london/

I mean I like cats but I'm intrigued by the giant cream egg/bum mashup.

@Boiledbeetle can you do the AI thing?

I don't like Khan but I disagree with Spiked's criticism here. Enough time has passed that at this point the fourth plinth showing somewhat bonkers artwork completely at odds with the rest of the square is traditional. It is a monument to 150 years of beaurocratic ineptness, not 21 century woke and in its own way that's sort of beautiful

Also I like the cat idea.

It ignored any mention of the word bum and bottom gives me the abomination on the right!

It did churn out this though

The Creme Egg Bottom-Cleaning Cat Statue

In a quaint corner of a chocolate-themed park, there stands an extraordinary statue. It’s a delightful blend of absurdity and sweetness, capturing the essence of unexpected encounters.

Description:

• Base: A giant creme egg, its foil wrapper glistening in the sun.
• Pedestal: The egg rests on a circular pedestal made entirely of smaller creme eggs, stacked like sugary bricks.
• Cat: Perched atop the egg, a mischievous cat balances precariously. Its fur is a swirl of caramel and chocolate hues.
• Pose: The cat is mid-grooming, its hind leg raised high. The tail curls around the egg, forming a whimsical spiral.
• Expression: The cat’s face is the epitome of nonchalance. Eyes half-closed, it licks its paw with exaggerated elegance.
• Bottom: Ah, the pièce de résistance! The cat’s bottom is prominently displayed, as if it’s saying, “Behold, my impeccable hygiene!”
• Details: Tiny creme egg crumbs cling to the cat’s fur, adding to the absurdity.

Visitors gather around, chuckling and snapping photos. Some debate whether the cat is a tribute to feline fastidiousness or a commentary on the ephemeral nature of chocolate art. Children giggle, and adults exchange knowing glances.

And so, the Creme Egg Bottom-Cleaning Cat Statue becomes a beloved oddity—a sweet reminder that art can be both delightful and utterly ridiculous.

Note: This statue exists only in the whimsical corners of our imagination. But wouldn’t it be delightful if it were real?

Why did it give the cat tits?🙁 And just two!

The Creme Egg Bottom Cleaning Cat Statue, the world would be a better place with that in it 🤩

Well this thread has taken an unexpected turn 😂

I'm so sorry.

Cake made me do it!

Don't apologise @Boiledbeetle those pics of the cats on crème eggs are the funniest things I've seen all day 😂

It's not playing ball now!