Five sculptors shortlisted to create Nelson Mandela statue for Glasgow

Five sculptors have been shortlisted to create a statue of Nelson Mandela for the city of Glasgow.

The artists have produced models of their designs, which will be on display at Glasgow City Chambers for the next week before a judging panel chooses one artist to produce the final sculpture.

The artwork will be sited at Nelson Mandela Place next October in honour of his connections to the city.

Glasgow was the first major city to give Nelson Mandela the freedom award as he was locked away in the infamous Robben Island prison.

Even before his visit, which took place a year before he was elected president, Mandela had thanked the “citizens of Glasgow” for being the first to offer him the Freedom of the City, at a time when many others were still condemning him as a terrorist for his role in challenging the system of racial segregation in South Africa.

In October 1993, the anti-apartheid revolutionary visited Glasgow to accept the freedom of nine UK cities awarded to him as he languished in a South African jail cell.

He thanked people for the support they had shown him and his country in their struggle against a racist and oppressive regime.

In his now famous speech from a wet and windy George Square during his visit to the city in October 1993, Mandela said: “While we were physically denied our freedom, a city 6,000 miles away, and as renowned as Glasgow, refused to accept the legitimacy of the apartheid system.”

Jacqueline McLaren, lord provost of Glasgow, said the new statue will be a way of honouring Mandela’s “unique” and historic connections to the city.

“I was there when Nelson Mandela was in George Square a long time ago when I was young,” she said.

“I think it’s really important – it’s part of Glasgow’s story.”

Chair of the Nelson Mandela Scottish Memorial Foundation, Brian Filling, added: “I think it’s important because Glasgow has had a long relationship with the struggle against apartheid.”

Mr Filling said the public will be invited to view the model statues and give their views on which they think would be best.

At the end of the month, a judging panel will make the final decision about which artist will be selected to create the final sculpture.

The final statue is expected to be unveiled in Nelson Mandela Place on October 9 – the anniversary of Mandela’s 1993 visit to Glasgow.

Mr Filling said the judging panel will make its decision before the end of November.