Fourth Plinth

I don't know if any of you recall this particular piece by Antony Gormley, One and Other, on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square in London.  The idea was for 100 days he invited people to stand on the plinth and they could do whatever they wanted for 60 minutes.  You didn't have to be an artist or performer, you could protest, dance, sing, sleep....etc.  Obviously like always people are questioning if its art or not, here is a short blurb from Gormley, 

He motions to the Fourth Plinth behind him: "This is a piece of 19th century art furniture we are experimenting with, and whether it's art is irrelevant.

"We are asking very important questions about who can be represented in this extraordinary square of patriotic value - it's become a place of protest, it's become a place of celebration.'

When I think of this piece I try to find some sort of placement in art.... Relational Aesthetics? Community Art? New Genre Public Art?  Also is the artist Gormley? The many many individuals that went on 'stage'?  I don't feel we still need to question if something is art or not anymore but I still long to put it in some sort of catalogue in our 'art system'.  This piece seems as though it has some interesting qualities but by the looks of things it seemed as though the people wanted there 60 minutes for themselves to perform, which can get kinda boring.  The' Performers/artist were also the audience? Its like going to 100 Day Music Festival but the only people in the crowd are the musicians. I guess what I am trying to say what I do find interesting about this piece is how self indulgent people can be. but I am not sure if that was the intention.

Here are two links to this piece LINK 1 

LINK 2

Not to long ago I was talking to another grad student, Don Fondness, he was telling me about an artist who wanted to do a public art piece, the artist asked the residents in the neighborhood what kind of piece they would want, and gave them a particular budget, I think the residents wanted the artist to make an ice cream stand.  So he gave them what they wanted.  Its kinda poetic and a sweet gesture, I kinda like it but it almost seems to sappy and a one liner. 

Thinking about this work made me think about the discussions we had the last two class periods about community art.  We kept questioning why is it art? how do we judge this art? Why are these artist making art in the 1st place?  I know this piece is not community art but we could also question his intentions and wonder why he is making art?