"This is a photo of the entrance gate to Tafawa Balewa Square, which used to be called Lagos Race Course during the days of British colonial rule. On 1 October 1960, this was where Queen Elizabeth II handed power to Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Tafawa Balewa, and next to this square is where Nigeria had its first national assembly. Today, this space has been transformed from a seat of power to a hub of the informal economy – street vendors, hawkers, street preachers. Within the framework of my project, Mutations, this photo shows how Lagos is constantly transforming and how the people who live there are constantly negotiating – and renegotiating – the space. The Eyo masquerades statues in the shot also speak to this constant renewal. These cloaked figures quite literally represent the spirits of the dead, which speaks to the city’s rich, multifaceted history and the way it is ever present. The square, once a key ceremonial space in Lagos is now permanently closed except for occasional private events, and I am struck by the image of ordinary Lagosians being quite literally locked out of one of the key symbols of power in the city, but still managing to make their way." -- Andrew Esiebo