The exhibition, which will be open until October 4, offers a journey to the 7th century BCE through seven thematic sections. These focus on the figure of Ashurbanipal (669–c. 631 BCE), who, from the city of Nineveh in modern-day Iraq, ruled the largest empire of his time, extending from the Eastern Mediterranean to the mountains of Iran.
The official presentation was attended by Isabel Fuentes, director of CaixaForum Madrid; Nicholas Cullinan, director of the British Museum; and Sébastien Rey, curator of the exhibition. The display portrays a complex ruler, characterized by the duality between his intellectual side and his military prowess. During his reign, the Assyrian Empire reached its economic, artistic, and cultural zenith, in a period of intense exchanges across the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
The exhibition paints a portrait of a complex ruler, marked by the contrast between his intellectual facet and his military harshness. Under his reign, the Assyrian Empire reached its maximum economic, artistic, and cultural splendor, in a context of intense human exchanges in the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Among the most notable elements is the famous library of cuneiform tablets that Ashurbanipal collected in his palace, with the aim of concentrating all the knowledge of his era, ranging from medicine to religion and history. At the same time, the exhibition addresses the violence the monarch employed to maintain control over his territories.
Through reliefs, sculptures, and objects of great historical value, visitors can explore his military training—which included chariot handling, horsemanship, and archery—his image as a lion hunter, and the magnificence of Nineveh's palaces and gardens.
I am Ashurbanipal represents the tenth collaboration between the ”la Caixa” Foundation and the British Museum, an alliance that has enabled the arrival in Spain of internationally significant exhibitions on ancient civilizations and global cultures. The exhibition includes an extensive cultural mediation program with 14 interactive points, designed to encourage public participation. These include audiovisuals on female figures of the era, animated recreations of Nineveh, and spaces to experiment with cuneiform writing.
Furthermore, the project reinforces its commitment to accessibility, offering resources such as 3D reproductions of reliefs, Braille and easy-to-read texts, audio descriptions, and visual adaptations, with the goal of making culture accessible to all audiences. In this way, the exhibition not only highlights the historical figure of Ashurbanipal but also the importance of preserving heritage to understand the global history of humanity.
