« Why boats, why barques ? For me, it’s the sign of departure, the boat is what’s used to transport people, ideas and materials. In a way, the boat sacrifices itself to transport people and materials of all kinds. The work is called Lost Wax, like a lost work, a lost life. The boat sacrifices itself by transporting human beings and goods : it’s usually horizontal, and here it’s used vertically. These are dead boats that have been erected to celebrate them. It’s a glorification of those who sacrificed their lives, like an elevation to the heavens in an extraordinary sculpture. The boat sacrifices itself, as when bronze is cast and wax is lost. Energy is lost to allow something else to exist. It is the emergence of new things that is celebrated here. The boat has a bronze backbone. There’s a bronze conversion of the boats, with the bowl at the top to distribute the wax. »

El Anatsui