Faces Weathered by Time and Rain in Trafalgar Square’s Silent Protest

At the heart of London, a monumental sculpture quietly confronts the city’s bustle: Teresa Margolles’ Mil Veces un Instante brings 726 trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming faces to Trafalgar Square’s iconic Fourth Plinth. Each face, cast in plaster, forms a modern echo of the ancient Tzompantli—Mesoamerican skull racks once used to display the remains of the fallen. Here, the arrangement transforms from a symbol of conquest to one of collective endurance. As rain and wind gradually blur the details of these faces, the work becomes a living metaphor for the fragility of memory and the erasure faced by marginalized communities. Created in collaboration with groups from Mexico and the UK, the sculpture’s very surface holds traces of hair and skin, grounding its tribute in the tangible presence of those often rendered invisible. With every passing season, the sculpture’s slow transformation stands as both a memorial and a call for recognition—where endurance itself becomes a form of resistance. #TransVisibility #PublicArt #CulturalMemory #Culture