For 100 continuous days and nights in the summer of 2009, Trafalgar Square was filled with the voices of modern day Britain, no two hours the same.

Artichoke was invited by Antony Gormley to produce his major commission for the Fourth Plinth. The idea: to place 2,400 people from across the UK on the Plinth for one hour each. Positioned amongst the military statues of Trafalgar Square, the ‘Plinthers’ came to represent humanity itself. A living portrait of the UK in the 21st century, Antony Gormley’s concept put ordinary British people centre stage.

One & Other was open to anyone who was over the age of 16 living or staying in the UK. Over 35,000 people applied and participants were selected based on a geographical spread to ensure voices from all corners of the country were heard.

Thousands watched in Trafalgar Square as participants campaigned, performed, undressed or just sat on the Plinth. Sky Arts ran a continuous live stream of the living art work, in what was the longest broadcast of its kind. Clive Anderson presented 16 weekly TV updates on site.

The legacy of One & Other lives on. In 2010 Random House produced a 700 page book, including portraits of each Plinther. The British Library archived the project website and the Wellcome Trust recorded the details of all involved. Not only was it the event of the summer, it continues to provide a snapshot of British society.

One & Other was part of the 2009 Sky Arts Artichoke Season.

One & Other
One & Other, Anthony Gormley, 2009. Produced by Artichoke in partnership with Sky Arts. Commissioned by the Mayor of London for the Fourth Plinth with funds from Arts Council England. Photo by Matthew Andrews

One & Other Statistics

  • Total number of applicants

    35,000

  • Number of participants

    2,400

  • Plinth occupied continuously

    3.5 months

  • Youngest Plinther

    16

  • Oldest Plinther

    84

  • Number of men

    1,210

  • Number of women

    1,190

  • Height of Plinth

    6.7 metres

‘It says more about Britishness than George IV and his horse – maybe even more than Nelson…the fact that a corner of one of our most famous landmarks has been given over to a group of ordinary citizens, to do with it what they will, is a fabulous symbol of freedom and free speech.’

~ Frank Skinner, The Times, July 2009 ~