The latest art work to occupy the famous Fourth Plinth, the HMS Victory in bottle at Trafalgar Square is the work of British Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare.

Nelson's flagship
Playing with the quirky tradition of enclosing a sailing ship in a glass bottle, the HMS Victory in bottle at Trafalgar Square is a scale replica of Admiral Nelson's flagship, upon which he died after defeating the French fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The first of the Fourth Plinth art installations to directly engage with Trafalar Square's heritage and history, the art work joins the iconic statue of Nelson which stands atop the famous column at the central London landmark.

Yinka Shonibare
Taking over the Fourth Plinth for over a year period, the HMS Victory in bottle at Trafalgar Square art installation is the latest work by Yinka Shonibare. Having previously exhibited work at the Sensation exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts as well as the Venice Biennial, the Turner Prize nominated artist was chosen over other shortlisted artists such as Tracey Emin and Anish Kapoor to show his work on the Fourth Plinth.

Colourful fabric
The 37 sails of the HMS Victory in bottle at Trafalgar Square are made from fabric that Shonibare has bought from Brixton Market. Although commonly regarded as quinessentially African fabric, the textiles were in fact originally inspired by an Indonesian batik design and made by the Dutch before being sold to parts of West Africa. The sails are therefore intended to celebrate the complex ethnic diveristy and rich mulitculturalism of modern Britain.

Artistic legacy
Nelson's ship in a bottle follows high profile residencies on the Fourth Plinth such as Antony Gormley's One and Other live art installation, and Marc Quinn's statue of a pregnant Alison Lapper. The work by Yinka Shonibare will stay in place on the plinth until the end of 2011.

The HMS Victory in bottle at Trafalgar Square can be seen on the Fourth Plinth from Monday 24th May 2010 until the end of 2011. The exhibition is free to attend.