Alptekin’s project Horses and Heroes began with his fascination for the Triumphal Quadriga horse sculptures on the façade of the San Marco Basilica in Venice. The horses were originally sculpted in Istanbul and positioned atop the Hippodrome in Sultan Ahmet Square, before they were stolen by the Crusaders from Europe in the 13th Century. He became interested in the history and use of horse sculptures as public monuments, as well as the role they played in symbolising the power and identitarian nationalism that came with the kings and heroes that rode them. Alptekin subsequently produced a set of three video works considering the influence of these quadriga horses on other monuments, and also depicted them on sets of Ottoman influenced tiles.

After initially seeking to return the Triumphal Quadriga horses permanently to Turkey, the artist discovered that life-size replicas existed. He borrowed these from the Basilica in Venice for his participation in the Istanbul Biennial of 2005.