I am art.

September 20, 2009 6:59 AM

In this thread about Antony Gormley's One and Other art project in Trafalgar Square this summer, Mr Mustard said that he would post to Mefi from the plinth if picked. As I'm appearing on there tomorrow (Mon 21st) I feel honour-bound to do just that. Possible mini-meetup...

I've been working with a guy called Phil Clark-Hill who has built a portable, battery powered sound system in a wheelie bin called The Bass Bin from recycled, reclaimed & reused parts. I'll be spending my hour DJing a few tunes to whoever is in the square at the time and keeping the idea of sustainability, recycling & reusing in people's minds. I'm planning on being the loudest plinther of the summer.

My slot is Monday 21st September from 1-2pm UK time. It would be nice to see any local Mefites there but for everyone else I'll be attempting to post here during my slot and will try some shout outs. You can all be art :)

The full media onslaught is:
• Watch live via the web stream.
• Watch after the event.
• My blog on the One & Other website
• Follow some Twitter here.
• Some pictures on Flickr here & here.
• Videos of also on YouTube.

The Fourth Plinth is in the NW corner of the square in front of the National Gallery. As an added bonus for all you chess lovers, there's a gigantic chess set in the middle of the square that has been created by Spanish designer, Jaime Hayón as the centrepiece of the London Design Festival.

I'll be heading off afterwards to the Tattershall Castle a boat with a bar moored by the Embankment at the other end of Northumberland Avenue from the square & just a few minutes walk. It wouldn't be a meetup without a pub...

For those of you outside the UK who might want to watch live, some times are:
8-9am New York, 5-6am LA, 2-3am Hawaii, Midnight-1am [21st-22nd] New Zealand, 10-11pm Sydney/Melbourne, 8-9pm Perth, 9-10pm Japan, mainland Europe 2-3pm

posted by i_cola to MetaFilter-Related at 6:59 AM (50 comments total)

Awesome. Congratulations on becoming art, and best of luck becoming the loudest art. ...

Freebird?
posted by carsonb at 7:21 AM on September 20, 2009 [1 favorite]

Cool.
I love the One and Other project.
Congrats.

One thing: I have not followed everything (obviously), but generally video and pics tend to focus on the performer and only occasionally on the public. If you have too many friends around with cameras, try to have a few of them covering people. One and Other is about bringing people in the art world and it does it on the plinth and on the Web (as here). But I wish we could see more of the people participating (or gawking) on the spot.

Your show time is great. Looks like the weather will be on your side too.
Enjoy.
posted by bru at 8:15 AM on September 20, 2009

I have to drop something off in Bloomsbury during the morning so will swing by Trafalgar Square on my way back. I'll have to dig out my MeFi t-shirt...
posted by greycap at 9:25 AM on September 20, 2009

It better be a damn good post! And no AskMe's saying, "Hey, I am on a plinth in the middle of a busy intersection as part of an art installment! Tell me what to do!"

Other than that, have fun!
posted by not_on_display at 9:43 AM on September 20, 2009

Metafilter: Overthinking a plinth of bins.
posted by greatgefilte at 10:30 AM on September 20, 2009 [2 favorites]

Gah how sucky I'm in London now but going home (to Brighton!) tonight, otherwise I would've been there. Will be at work while you're on but following you the best I can. Good luck!
posted by ClarissaWAM at 10:35 AM on September 20, 2009

The game CLUE must be amended to include Mr. Mustard on the plinth.
posted by Cranberry at 11:43 AM on September 20, 2009 [1 favorite]

I dont live very far away (I'm in Bloomsbury) and will be at home at about that time. I'll definitely try to walk over there then.
posted by vacapinta at 11:47 AM on September 20, 2009

Sounds great and congratulations, but can we have your assurance that you'll keep your kegs on?
posted by Abiezer at 12:23 PM on September 20, 2009

bru: Good point...I've thought the same myself which is why I'm going to be trying to get people 'down below' to get dancing and hopefully get a bit of camera time. A small potted history of dance music is planned...

Oh, and I've been told by the organisers that there are to be no naked flames or naked bodies so kegs definitely on. A few t-shirt changes may happen tho'.
posted by i_cola at 2:02 PM on September 20, 2009

Heh. I may have just discovered my daughter's secret MeFi identity. She's got a slot on the plinth this week.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 2:46 PM on September 20, 2009 [1 favorite]

Curses -- she insists she's neither i_cola nor Mr Mustard. It's just a matter of time, Catherine...
posted by PeterMcDermott at 3:59 PM on September 20, 2009

i_cola -

maybe it's time to reveal the secret of your username :) Maybe a Mefi specific placard?

Enjoy the hour!!
posted by dash_slot- at 5:08 PM on September 20, 2009

My wife was on the plinth last month, re-enacting our wedding. Pictures. Her report. Have fun!
posted by WPW at 5:21 PM on September 20, 2009

I say you play a good oldskool set of UK DnB / jungle, but that's due to my personal association with "bass bins" and that sorta music (lots of old mixes are floating online). Regardless, have fun!
posted by filthy light thief at 6:41 PM on September 20, 2009

WPW, your wife was not on me, thanks, nor I am NOT a place of tourism.

Sheesh.
posted by plinth at 7:14 PM on September 20, 2009 [1 favorite]

plinth, next you'll be complaining about the atrocious behavior of birds and the tourists who feed them, on behalf of statues everywhere. If you slack-abouts would only move around every now and again, we wouldn't take you for granted.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:59 PM on September 20, 2009

Wow, I'm addicted to this. Good for you.
Good luck and most importantly enjoy the hell out of it.
Slip in one of my songs and I'll be your best friend.
posted by chococat at 8:12 PM on September 20, 2009

Just arrived at the One and Other office on the square and watched a rather revealing young lady go up for the 11-12 slot. The Bass Bin is getting a lot of love :-)
posted by i_cola at 4:08 AM on September 21, 2009

Poo, I was supposed to be in Westminster this lunch time but had to cancel at last minute, would have been able to pop down too, how annoying. Hope it all goes well i_c!
posted by biffa at 4:38 AM on September 21, 2009

Yeah, I had to run over to Moorgate at the last minute which is where I am now. I'll have to watch online like everyone else.
posted by vacapinta at 4:46 AM on September 21, 2009

I, uh, gather that the oneandother site is currently running a little bit slow, possibly due to the appearance of breasts.
posted by liquidindian at 4:52 AM on September 21, 2009

In a way, I'm glad I'm not there, because there would either be a shot of me in the background appearing to stare at the young lady's breasts or appearing to be trying not to. You can't win that sort of thing.

Good luck. If you need luck.
posted by Grangousier at 4:59 AM on September 21, 2009

Hey, there you are!
Hi!
posted by chococat at 5:06 AM on September 21, 2009

This is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike actually being there! I am mentally rocking out with you by the plinth.
posted by Diagonalize at 5:14 AM on September 21, 2009

Hello Mr Cola!
posted by cillit bang at 5:23 AM on September 21, 2009

Ok. Post from the plinth. It's hot!
posted by i_cola at 5:27 AM on September 21, 2009

"Give Me My Life Back Howie!"

Ha!
posted by mediareport at 5:27 AM on September 21, 2009

The unintentional shot of the fellow eating bits of sandwich from his pants before the "This was made from recycled materials" sign was rather hilarious.
posted by Diagonalize at 5:30 AM on September 21, 2009

Thats pretty awesome i_cola.
posted by vacapinta at 5:30 AM on September 21, 2009

OBLIGATORY METAFILTER SHOUTOUT

(failed to get screenshot)
posted by cillit bang at 5:32 AM on September 21, 2009

PHWOARR!!!!
posted by cillit bang at 5:40 AM on September 21, 2009

"Lily Allen: Why won't EMI let me *pay* to download this track?"

Ha again.
posted by mediareport at 5:44 AM on September 21, 2009

waaaaa - I can't read the signs.


This is so cool though. Heya icola!
posted by CunningLinguist at 5:51 AM on September 21, 2009

The Cher?
posted by Diagonalize at 5:56 AM on September 21, 2009

That was cool.
Great job.
:-)
posted by bru at 6:02 AM on September 21, 2009

Awesome plinthing, i_cola!
posted by Diagonalize at 6:04 AM on September 21, 2009

Your successor is deadly dull. No bouncing or shout outs.
posted by CunningLinguist at 6:20 AM on September 21, 2009

I fear you were somewhat upstaged by the booby lady immediately before you. Good show nonetheless. Always hard to follow an act like that.
posted by flashboy at 6:45 AM on September 21, 2009

CL, the vast majority of the people have been deadly dull.

Given their 1 hour of fame, most people go up there with a folding chair (Its only 1 hr! And you could always sit on the pavement! Its only 1 hr!) and sometimes walk around chatting with their friends on a cell phone ("Look at me chatting with you on the cell phone, mom!")

Sometimes they shout or read stuff to the people on trafalgar square (Its trafalgar square! Nobody can hear you!) or hold up illegible signs for their pet cause (Nobody cares. We want to be entertained!)

So...thank you i_cola, for making it a bit more interesting. To you and all the people in funny costumes and the naked people - thank you for not making me not completely despair in humanity.
posted by vacapinta at 6:47 AM on September 21, 2009

Phew! Recovering in the pub / boat with a well earned beer. Thanks for all the posts...I was reading :-)

what a laugh and everyone loved The Bass Bin. (Available for parties...)

glad the signs worked

mmm...beer...
posted by i_cola at 7:00 AM on September 21, 2009

Oh, and Cher is not The. A friend of mine who has been nanny to the stars.
posted by i_cola at 7:05 AM on September 21, 2009

Always hard to follow an act like that.

Hard to imagine a better lead-in to an online performance bit than a naked booby lady.
posted by mediareport at 7:38 AM on September 21, 2009

(Nobody cares. We want to be entertained!)
Indeed. There was a guy last night (5am or so London time) holding a sign which said that he wasn't there for our entertainment. Which was also the lyric to the Europop song playing on his Spongebob CD Player.

Has anyone fallen into the net yet?
posted by chococat at 7:42 AM on September 21, 2009

the vast majority of the people have been deadly dull.

Sad. I must admit I missed the original post and am now fairly entranced by the idea. But why bother to get up there if you don't *do* something fun and interesting and different?
You rocked i_cola.
posted by CunningLinguist at 7:50 AM on September 21, 2009

I am gutted that I've only just seen this post! Sorry I missed it. I would have been able to get down there in my lunch hour as well.

I'll watch your performance on the web site when I get the chance. Congratulations on getting picked. Sounds like you had fun.
posted by MrMustard at 8:58 AM on September 21, 2009

Hey, Judge Dredd!
posted by Artw at 12:59 PM on September 21, 2009

Link! Link to the shout out!
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 7:06 PM on September 21, 2009

Thanks again guys. As long as it was entertaining, I'm happy :-) I don't think it got caught on camera but there was a lovely moment when an old lady in a wheelchair (she must have been in her 90's) was joining in, grinning from ear to ear and punching her arms in the air. Job done.

The MeFi shout outs are from 24'30" to 26'08" at:
http://www.oneandother.co.uk/participants/blissism-sound-system

chococat: IIRC, one guy 'dismounted' at the end of his slot by leaping into the net. The way the plinth is positioned, the north end is about 2 metres above the plaza in front of the National Gallery & the south end (the way The Bass Bin was facing) is over 6m high. I don't have a great head for heights but I didn't have a problem. Well, apart from a couple of times when I was jumping up and down and found out that the 'floor' of the plinth is actually wooden and slightly wobbly!)
posted by i_cola at 4:54 AM on September 22, 2009

The whole site is slow again. Probably because Londonist just posted a link to yesterdays' topless woman.
posted by vacapinta at 5:49 AM on September 22, 2009