The latest installation on the Trafalgar Square Fourth Plinth in central London has caused quite a stir, as hundreds of plaster casts of transgender and non-binary individuals have been unveiled to the public. Created by Mexican artist Teresa Margolles, the sculpture titled Mil Veces un Instante (A Thousand Times in an Instant) features the faces of 726 individuals who identify as trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming.
What makes this artwork unique is the process by which it was created – plaster was applied directly onto the faces of the models, many of whom were sex workers, infusing the material with their hair and skin cells. The casts are arranged around the plinth in the form of a tzompantli, a skull rack used in Mesoamerican civilizations to display the remains of war captives or sacrificial victims.
Margolles, whose work often explores themes of conflict and death, aims to shed light on a community that is often marginalized both in her native Mexico and around the world. Her background as a forensic pathologist and mortician in Mexico City has influenced her artistic practice, which often incorporates material traces of death.
The Fourth Plinth, originally intended to display a statue of William IV in 1841, has become a platform for temporary artworks since 1999. The addition of Margolles’s piece alongside statues of George IV, Charles James Napier, and Henry Havelock marks a significant moment in the history of the iconic London landmark.
