The portable plinth: the answer to invisible execs

By James Bennett, Managing Online Editor, Melcrum

Just over three hours ago sculptor Anthony Gormley’s One and Other “human statue” project got underway in London’s Trafalgar Square.

The premise of the live art experiment is simple. The fourth plinth, built in 1841 was originally intended for an equestrian statue but has lain empty over the years with only a collection of sporadic exhibits adorning the northern most corner of the square.

Gormley’s project, however has given the public their opportunity to populate the plinth, quite literally, and, in London mayor Boris Johnson’s words, to “democratise art”. Every hour, on the hour, a different person will stand high on the large stone slab and demonstrate their ‘art’. Rachel Wardell, 35, was the first "living statue" to take part at 9am this morning.

Wardell was followed at 10am by Jason Clark, a 41-year-old nurse from Brighton. Other people to take to the stage include Heather Pringle who will be celebrating her 20th birthday on the plinth, while the oldest among July's 615 participants is pensioner Gwynneth Pedler, 83, from Oxford, who plans to signal with semaphore flags. Luckily the river Thames is no longer used by large cargo carrying vessels so Gwynneth can safely wave in peace at the crowd of three watching, rather than directing a cruise liner into the London Eye.

But this got me thinking about how this could work in the corporate world. My first instinct was that the plinth would be the ideal platform for a modern day version of the stocks where disgraced or perhaps invisible executives would be individually winched onto the plinth and paraded in front of a jeering, salivating, recession-riddled public. Free packs of sharpened darts would be handed out 25 feet from a trembling, pinstriped pariah (to give him a fighting chance) and a dance of the darts would then ensue. His only protection would be a moth eaten annual report, while the only escape route would be to leap off the plinth onto the solid concrete below, risking severe injury and potentially crawling away into the distance only to be hit by an on coming red double decker London bus.

The other, far less gladiatorial option, would be for internal communicators to use this idea at company meetings or workshops where a portable replica plinth would be transported around the country for various internal events. This would then be used by executives to stand on for a minimum of an hour, giving passing employees the opportunity to ask their superiors questions. No darts or sharp objects allowed. There would naturally be no hiding place or thankfully no buses. The plinth would be too high to jump from, there would be no ladders to help you clamber down, the only thing you can do is to face the music and be give an honest answer. Don’t get me wrong. This would not a form of punishment or some kind of corporate copycat David Blaine type stunt, it would merely act as an open air forum where you would give an influential company figure the opportunity to literally stand up and be counted. It would take a brave man or woman to do it but, as with Gormley’s One and Other project, it would instantly democratise your business and give employees and employers the chance to get to know each other better.

If you are listening Mr Gormley, once the project is over, please give me a call so we can patent the idea. Give it six months and trust me, there will be plinths in company car parks across Britain. No darts I promise.

Comments

[55degrees]

Many UK organisations are using www.VOXUR.com for the less gladitorial option, ensures people put their views across and people listen, all without the risk of falling off a plinth :o)

Scottish Government Officials:
http://www.equallywell.com/

Adult Learners:
http://www.voxur.com/case_study_learner_voice.php

Morrison Management:
http://www.morrisonplc.com/content_delivery/view/27