British-Indian ice cream van art races for London’s Trafalgar Square Fourth Plinth

A vibrant installation by British-Indian artist Chila Kumari Burman, inspired by her father’s migration from India to the UK, has made it to the shortlist for a public vote for selection as the next sculpture for Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth.

Burman’s artwork, ‘The Smile You Send Returns To You’, is one of seven proposals introduced by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on Monday as potential additions to the plinth at the iconic landmark.

The plinth regularly features artworks that reflect and celebrate the multicultural essence of London.

At the centre of this piece sits Burman’s father’s ice cream van ‘The Rocket’.

The ice cream van has been a recurring motif throughout Chila Kumari Burman’s works over the last 40 years. It is a metaphor for a childhood memory belonging to the broader economic, political, and social history of migration from India to Britain, and a symbol of optimism.

“It tells of the artist’s own lived experience, and her father’s voyage on the HMS Battory from India to the UK. It is a story of resourcefulness and entrepreneurship, amid the struggle of adapting to a new life elsewhere. A journey that took him from Calcutta’s Dunlop factory, where his magic tricks earnt his transfer overseas, to Liverpool’s Dunlop factory.” stated the London government website.

Liverpool-born and London-based, Burman works across a wide range of mediums, including printmaking, drawing, painting, installation and film. She calls herself a ‘Punjabi Liverpudlian’.

The shortlisted artists, including Burman, Gabriel Chaile, Ruth Ewan, Thomas J Price, Veronica Ryan, Tschabalala Self, and Andra Ursuţa, have displayed maquettes of their proposed artworks at the National Gallery until March 17.

FOURTH PLINTH WINNERS TO BE DECLARED IN MARCH

“The Fourth Plinth is located just a few yards from the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, and I am delighted that we can host the exhibition of the shortlisted artists’ proposals in the gallery,” said Gabriele Finaldi, Director of the National Gallery.

The proposals can be viewed online and via the Bloomberg Connects app, with two winning works to be announced next month and installed on the Fourth Plinth in 2026 and 2028.

“The Fourth Plinth is renowned across the globe for bringing world-class contemporary art to the heart of London. I’m delighted that our shortlisted artists have provided such thought-provoking pieces,” said Justine Simons, Deputy Mayor for Culture, Creative Industries.

Meanwhile, Teresa Margolles’ ‘Improntas’ has been announced as the next Fourth Plinth sculpture, set to debut in September 2024. The work is a tribute to a transgender woman called Karla who was murdered in Mexico in 2016 and stands for the rights of trans communities worldwide.

Burman’s artwork, ‘The Smile You Send Returns To You’, unites mysticism, imagination, history, and culture to convey the story of migration.