September 9, 2009
Elgin Marbles protest from the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square
During the summer of 2009, the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square has been occupied by various people as part of a project organised by the sculpture Antony Gormley.
This Saturday, Sofka Smales, a student from Calderdale will be using her sixty minutes on the plinth to raise awareness for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures to Athens. Here time on the plinth will start at 11:00pm.
From:
Halifax Courier
Wednesday, 9th September 2009
‘Send them back’ call: Elgin Marbles plea of our plinth ‘goddess’
By Colin DruryAN art student will dress as a Greek goddess when she becomes the latest Calderdale person to take to the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square, London
Sofka Smales, 19, will use her hour on the stone stand to campaign for the Elgin Marbles to be returned from London to Athens.She was selected at random from more than 30,000 applicants to appear on the plinth as part of Antony Gormley’s One & Other project which sees a different person take to the plinth every 60 minutes for 100 days.
Miss Smales, of Park Road, Todmorden, said: “It’s a fantastic project.“At first I didn’t know what I could do with my hour but I’m a quarter Greek and I lived there for nearly five years, and I’ve always felt the marbles should be returned – especially now that a first class museum has been built – so this was the natural choice.”
Her slot, which will include a Greek band playing in the Square, will be at 11pm on Saturday.
The teenager, who is studying criticism, communication and curation at St Martins College in London, said: “It’s a prime time really because there will be plenty of people about – I just hope I can get a few to take notice.”
Watching back home on a live internet stream will be dad Lindsay and stepmum Hilary Myers.
Mrs Myers said: “We’re going to have a party with the footage beamed live on to the living room wall.”
The Elgin Marbles are ancient Greek sculptures which were originally part of the Acropolis of Athens.
They have been on display in their own wing of the British Museum for nearly 200 years but there is a growing campaign for them to be returned to the new specially-built Acropolis Museum in Athens.
- Sofka Smales to protest in Trafalgar Square for return of Parthenon Sculptures : September 11, 2009
- An hour in Trafalgar Square for the Parthenon Marbles : September 15, 2009
- The chant of “Bring them back” echoed across the courtyard of the British Museum : October 31, 2010
- Protest outside British Museum this Saturday with Cypriot Students Union : October 18, 2012
- Live broadcast of the Intellegence Squared Parthenon Marbles debate at the New Acropolis Museum : June 2, 2012
- Greek children campaign for return of Parthenon Marbles : January 31, 2007
- Images of the New Acropolis Museum : June 19, 2009
- Greek schoolchildren stage protest outside British Museum : May 6, 2009