The last day of the plinth

Emma released a balloon for every victim of the Hillsborough disaster

By Alison Freeman
BBC London 94.9

The final 'living exhibit' on Trafalgar Square's fourth plinth took their place this Wednesday morning.

Emma Burns from Darlington spent the last hour of the 100 day project naming all 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster, as well as describing their aspirations.

She cut free a red helium balloon for every person named.

The plinth project

Thousands of people applied to participate in artist Antony Gormley's installation but only 2,400 were selected at random to take part.

Some performed, others protested while a handful simply sat and watched the world go by.

On the final day, Rachel Wardell, the first person to take up a place on the plinth, was among hundreds of 'ex-plinthers' - as they are now known - to come to London to witness the final moments of the human art exhibition.