lincoln-s-wax-statue-melts-in-washington-heat

He seemed to be going into relaxation mode, letting his head fall back on his seat, but what was actually happening to a six-foot-tall wax statue of former US President Abraham Lincoln in Washington was that it was melting as the US Capital's temperatures soared to more than 37 degrees Celsius last weekend.

 

In a tongue-in-cheek post on its website, CulturalDC, a non-profit that facilitates arts and cultural development in Washington, which had commissioned the piece, said, “This conceptual art piece has caused a lot of buzz lately. 

 

"This 3,000 lb wax sculpture is intended to be burnt like a candle and to change over time, but this wild heat has done a number on Lincoln.”

 

The wax sculpture, created by educator and artist Sandy Williams IV, whose work, according to his website, “generates moments of communal catharsis,” started melting in the heat, its head falling backwards and one leg starting to disintegrate, news outlets reported.

 

Displayed at a school, which used to be the site of Camp Barker, a Civil War-era refugee camp that housed formerly enslaved and freed African Americans, the sculpture is now being repaired by authorities.

 

“With this record-level heat, Lincoln has slumped into his chair more than ever anticipated! All that wax is leannnnnnnning back under the weight of 2024 and the state of our warming planet!” read the post. 

 

Williams IV created the replica of the Lincoln Memorial in wax, adding a wick for viewers to light to interact with the art. 

According to Cultural DC, “The installation is a direct commentary on DC’s history of Civil War-era Contraband Camps, refugee camps that housed formerly enslaved and free African Americans.”

The sculpture is part of  Williams’ 40 ACRES Archive: The Wax Monument series in which he has created replicas in the image of “popular public monuments and cultural symbols,” such as Stonewall Jackson, a prominent figure in the American Civil War and a skilful tactician and Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States. 

 

Staff at Cultural DC had purposely removed Lincoln’s head to prevent it from falling and breaking, the CulturalDC post added, concluding with: “We can’t guarantee he’ll be sitting up straight for the months ahead, but who really will be?”