The 5th Plinth
At the entrance to the Waterloo Centre for Adult Education is a black plinth which has for the last two years displayed the sculpture “Holst” by the sculptor Molly Okell. Morley College London is now working on plans to refresh this sculpture in 2023, replacing “Holst” through an open competition for current Morley students and recent alumni.
We are pleased to announce that the following works have been shortlisted:
Renewal, Patsy Hickman
TOTEM, Paul Bonomini
II, Eimhin Moran
Arise, Fionn O'Beirne
Maquettes of the above works will be viewable in the Foyer of the Waterloo Centre from mid-May.
In 2020 the new entrance courtyard to Morley College London saw the installation of the first in our series of “Fifth Plinth” sculptures, the piece “Holst” by Morley alumni Molly Okell.
The entrance courtyard provides a contemporary environment which respects the College’s distinguished heritage: a welcoming and secure gateway into the College and an improved profile from the streetscape of Westminster Bridge Road. Through a system of steps and ramps, the courtyard also makes Morley’s reception foyer fully accessible, and the artwork chosen for the plinth will need to act as a dramatic and effective introduction to the College. The theme for this cycle of the plinth display is RENEWAL.
As an open access meeting, display and performance space, the courtyard serves as an area for social interchange deliberately blurring the distinction between the public and private realms of the College and reflects the College as a community hub – a place of learning in its widest context, not just through participation in formal classes and courses, but through engagement with the College as a meeting place and cultural centre.
The College now invites proposals for the second courtyard sculpture, replacing Okell’s Holst, which is planned to be formally unveiled at Easter 2024.
SITE
The space is raised above street level with glass barriers on the street side and open on the courtyard side. There is a steel plinth, on which the sculpture will be installed, the dimensions for which are 1500mm height x 600mm width x 600mm depth, with fixing points in the centre of the plinth.
THE VISION
To create an ambitious and contemporary artwork at a key location at the entrance to Morley. The artwork should acknowledge the spirit of Morley College, its community and celebrate both its distinguished history and its exciting future, incorporating your interpretation of the theme of RENEWAL.
The artwork will stand in place for at up to four years, and marks a significant opportunity for an artist to place their work before a large public audience.
The installed artwork will take the form of an original, eye catching, thought provoking yet sensitive work. The precise form of the work, in both concept and construction, will be determined by the artist, but will create a sense of place and will welcome both students and visitors alike to Morley.
MATERIALS
The artwork must be durable to withstand outdoor display for up to four years, with a regular cleaning schedule. The selected artist will be required to design, fabricate, arrange for delivery and plan and oversee the installation of a work of public art on the plinth, with guidance from Morley’s Sculpture Department staff.
Morley College will provide a materials and making budget (amount to be confirmed), with additional amounts made available to shortlisted artists for the creation of maquettes.
SUBMISSIONS
Submissions will be made via a form, downloadable below. You will be asked to submit the following:
· An initial sketch, design &/or up to three photographs of model
· An artist’s statement of no more than 300 words describing the theme / idea
· A description of the materials you are proposing to use
· A brief description of fabrication and installation methods
· An estimate of costs
Note that submissions open on 16th November 2022, and close on 28th February 2023. Any submissions made incomplete or after this date will not be valid.
Note that the work will remain in the ownership of the artist, and. while ownership may be sold or otherwise exchanged by the artist during the time of the display, In submitting the artwork the artist agrees that the artwork will remain in place until the end of the agreed term of not less than three years from installation.
Please send your submissions to 5thplinth@morleycollege.ac.uk
Morley Gallery Podcast - Fifth Plinth Special
In this episode, Gallery and Exhibitions Officer Melissa Baksh speaks with Fifth Plinth artist Molly Okell and Sculpture Programme Manager Sheila Volmer about all things public art and sculpture, as well as the current Fifth Plinth Sculpture Competition – an open competition to students and recent alumni to design a major work of sculpture which will be on display at the entrance of Morley College Waterloo from 2024.