London: Tea Time in Wonderland

Have you seen it yet, this ship in a bottle intriguing passers-by on Trafalgar Square?

The Fourth Plinth is to be our new symbol of contemporory art. Last year, it had welcomed hundreds of simple people, like you and me. each chosen one could spend an hour up there, doint whatever they wanted. Some were artists, other comics, other represented a cause and came with banners, other braved the crowd sitting entirely naked. Some were amazing, other entirely boring. But hey, it was new. Art belonged to us. And it was real. We made it.

Later on, Sir Keith, a RAF hero, briefly had his statue there.

Now we have the world biggest boat in a bottle. Think about it, 5×2.8m! A thirtiest of the original! The opening of the bottle was large enough for people to crawl in and work inside.  This, by the way, represents the ship Victory.  Nelson -  the guy looking over the place from this huge column – died on it on October 21, 1805.  Not knowing his fleet would shortly win the battle. Everything was minutiously repeated: the 280 canons, the 37 sails (only 31 are up as on the day), even the message sent by the flags (Engage the ennemy closely).

Art steps in on one point -  the fabric used on the sails, which reminds us of African patterns. The artist, Yinka Shonibore (a previous Turner prize winner) was born in London then spent his childhood in Nigeria. An occasion to add a little of his influences in the sculpture but also draw a parallel with the British Colonial empire extansion at the time.

A lovely way to put history not in a nutshell but in a bottle for once. I’ll drink to it!

Pssst: the bottle is not made of glass but of perpex, a synthetic plastic. But if you love boats do go to Greenwich to see the toy boat exhibition! Or take the kids to the Golden Hind on South Bank.

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