Campaign launched to save Trafalgar Square ‘Ship in a Bottle’
Ocean Outdoor has joined an Art Fund led campaign to save artist Yinka Shonibare’s Ship in a bottle sculpture at Trafalgar Square.
The miniature replica of Admiral Nelson’s ship is at risk of being demounted from its perch, prompting Ocean to pledge £362,500 worth of outdoor advertising to secure a permanent home for the exhibit at the National Maritime Museum.
This campaign will invite supporters to donate £5 toward the campaign by texting SHIP to 70555.
Ocean Outdoor CEO Tim Bleakley said: “Shonibare’s scale model of Nelson’s Victory has proved one of the most popular of the fourth plinth commissions, but its future is in doubt. It really is all hands on deck to help save this contemporary tribute to a great British icon in what is a very British year.”
“Ocean Saves ship. That feels the right thing for us to do. As a business that has built its reputation on The Art of Outdoor, we are matching each £1 needed to save the ship with £1 in media. Hopefully in the year of the Queen’s Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympics people will get involved and match each £1 for £1.”
A public campaign has thus far raised over £150,000 to buy the piece but is still short of £162,500, raising the spectre of the work being bought by an overseas collector.