In London’s Trafalgar Square, a new artwork by Mexican artist Teresa Margolles titled “Mil Veces un Instante (A Thousand Times in an Instant)” has been unveiled. The piece consists of a 3.3-metric-ton cube adorned with face masks representing 726 transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming individuals. This artwork, placed on the renowned “Fourth Plinth,” is set to endure the natural elements of London for the next 18 months, causing the features on the masks to gradually erode.
Margolles, known for her background as a forensic pathologist and her use of materials from crime scenes, designed the sculpture as a tribute inspired by the Mesoamerican Tzompantli, a structure used to exhibit skulls of enemies and sacrifice victims. The artwork serves as a memorial to Margolles’ friend Karla, a transgender woman who was tragically murdered in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, in 2015.
The artist’s intention with the installation is to honor those who have been victims of hate crimes and convey a message of dignity and freedom of choice for future generations. The sculpture’s gradual decay while on public display is seen as a symbolic representation of the passage of time and the ephemeral nature of life.
Trafalgar Square, a historic site named after Admiral Horatio Nelson’s victory in 1805, has been a significant location for gatherings, both celebratory and protest-related. The Fourth Plinth, initially erected in 1841 for an unrealized equestrian statue, has since hosted a rotating series of contemporary artworks since 1999, each occupying the space for approximately 18 months.
Past installations on the Fourth Plinth have included diverse creations such as a giant bronze thumb, a sculpture resembling a pile of whipped cream with a cherry on top, representations of a fly and a drone, as well as a participatory project where 2,400 individuals from the public took turns standing on the plinth for an hour each over 100 days.
