The Unknown Political Prisoner, Tate Gallery 1953

The Unknown Political Prisoner. International Sculpture Competition. Tate Gallery 14 March to 30 April 1953. International Exhibition of Grand Prize Winner and other prize-winning entries and runners-up.

”Organised by the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London in 1952, the international competition to design a sculpture on the theme of ‘The Unknown Political Prisoner’ was intended to promote interest in contemporary sculpture and, as its subject suggests, ‘have commemorated all those unknown men and women who in our time have given their lives or their liberty in the cause of human freedom’ (quoted in Marter 1994, p.30). Attracted by the chance to have their maquette realised on a monumental scale in a site ‘of world importance, such as a prominent situation in any of the great capitals of the world’ (The Unknown Political Prisoner competition entry form, Tate Archive TGA 955/1/12/256), 3,500 artists from fifty-seven countries submitted entries for the competition, although in the event none of the proposed monuments were ever constructed. The competition’s final exhibition was held between March and May 1953 at the Tate Gallery in London, where the judging took place, and Reg Butler received the Grand Prize. Subsequently, he made the vastly enlarged Working Model for ‘The Unknown Political Prisoner’ for the Academy of Fine Art, Berlin, where it was hoped the project would be realised at a site overlooking the Soviet Zone in West Berlin.” – Text by Helen Little (April 2011) and Arthur Goodwin (December 2018) via Tate website

Title: The Unknown Political Prisoner
Publisher: Institute of Contemporary Arts
Date: 1953
Format: Softcover
Condition: Very Good
Provenance: The library of art historian Alastair Grieve
Stock Number: RB02058