This summer, a large sculpture by Iraqi-American artist Michael Rakowitz will stand outside Stavanger Cathedral.
The sculpture is a reconstruction of a guardian figure from an ancient Assyrian temple. The temple has been subject to looting and destruction since the 1850s, when British archaeologists first began removing artworks from the palace to send to the West. Further waves of colonial plunder occurred before ISIS destroyed the remaining structures in 2015.

Stavanger Cathedral has shaped the city since the 12th century.
While we celebrate the cathedral's and the city's anniversary this year, wars are raging in many parts of the world. In such times, the significance of cultural heritage is brought to the forefront.

A 3,000-Year-Old Guardian Figure

We have invited Michael Rakowitz (b. 1973) to exhibit his artwork The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist (Lamassu from Nineveh) outside the cathedral.
The sculpture is a lamassu – a guardian figure with a human head, a bull's body, and eagle wings, believed to hold protective power. The original stood in the ancient city of Nineveh. This version was first shown on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, London, in 2018, facing Iraq and turning its back to the British Parliament.

The recreated sculpture is made from packaging of empty Iraqi date syrup tins. The colourful surface reflects the original’s painted look, while the material criticises the destruction of Iraq’s once-famous date industry due to war and imperialism.

The Destruction of Culture – and of Lives

The link between the sculpture and the cathedral will be explored in an opening event on 23 May at Stavanger Cathedral.

Michael Rakowitz, born in 1973, has since 2007 recreated lost cultural heritage destroyed during and after the US-led invasion of Iraq.
His work exposes the layers of imperialism and how the destruction of art and culture reflects the destruction of human life.