Press Release

CaixaForum Barcelona From the 24th of November of 2017 to the 18 th of February of 2018

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Through masterpieces from the British Museum’s celebrated collection, the exhibition explores the competitive spirit that was a powerful element in Greek society

“The first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself” (Plato)

Greek history is rich in glorious feats performed by heroes, athletes and warriors. From Homer's epic tales to sporting triumphs at Olympia and the victories of great generals, intense rivalry dominated all aspects of life in Ancient Greece. Competition was even present in the world of the arts, in the form of contests in the fields of music, theatre, sculpture and painting. Through 170 objects, Agon! Competition in Ancient Greece —the second exhibition resulting from the agreement signed between ”la Caixa” Foundation and the British Museum in 2015— explores this competitive spirit, so characteristic of Ancient Greek society. Many of the works on show were restored especially for the occasion and are displayed outside London for the first time. These include, particularly, the sculptures and the fragment of the frieze from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, on loan for the very first time.

Agon! Competition in Ancient Greece . Concept and production : ”la Caixa” Foundation, in cooperation with the British Museum. Curator : Peter Higgs. Dates : from 24 November 2017 to 18 February 2018. Place : CaixaForum Barcelona (Av Francesc Ferrer i Guardia, 6-8). @FundlaCaixa @CaixaForum #BritishCaixaForum

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Barcelona, 23 November 2017. The president of the British Museum, Sir Richard Lambert; Elisa Durán, assistant general manager of ”la Caixa” Banking Foundation; and Peter Higgs, specialist in ancient Greek sculpture and architecture at the British Museum and curator of the exhibition, unveiled today at CaixaForum Barcelona, the second joint project produced by the two institutions: Agon! Competition in Ancient Greece .

In its cultural programme, ”la Caixa” Foundation pays particular attention to the great cultures of the past. Accordingly, the institution regularly presents exhibitions aimed at enabling audiences to discover the ways in which men and women from different places and times have sought to answer the great universal questions, and at increasing our understanding of the world through recent historical and archaeological research.

This exhibition, jointly organised by ”la Caixa” Foundation and the British Museum within the terms established in the strategic agreement established by the two institutions, offers a unique opportunity to discover an extraordinary collection Hero or athlete . Roman marble statue of works related to games, sports and competition (1st century AD), based on a Greek original (c. 320-300 BC) © The Trustees of the in Ancient Greece. The objects on show range British Museum from marbles and dice used by children 2,200 years ago to a fragment of the frieze from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The competitive spirit, inherent to human nature

The Ancient Greeks believed that the competitive spirit was inherent to human nature and could transmit positive, innovative and dynamic power. In contrast to the individualism that dominates many aspects of life today, in Ancient Greece competition represented the collective personality and was a factor in social cohesion.

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Nike, the goddess of victory who connects the world of mortals and the world gods, welcomes you to the exhibition and invites you to discover the idea of competition in Ancient Greece, where heroes, athletes and warriors illustrate the rivalry that dominated all aspects of life, including artistic creation. The Greeks aspired to attain excellence through the balance between body and spirit, through sport, on the one hand, and through philosophy, the arts and the sciences on the other.

The Greeks were sports enthusiasts, and the Panhellenic Games, which took place at Olympia, Delphi, Nemea and Isthmia, attracted the finest athletes. The winners were considered heroes and could win great prizes, both material and in terms of Winged Nike, her robes billowing in the wind . Marble statue, c. 100. BC. Halicarnassus. © The Trustees of the fame and prestige. Sporting events drew British Museum huge crowds and provided the Ancient Greeks with a popular source of entertainment.

Theatrical and musical contests also attracted thousands of spectators. Writers such as Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles and Aristophanes took part in these contests.

Another field in which the competitive spirit thrived was war. The Greek city states and kingdoms were in almost constant conflict with each other or with their neighbours. Battle scenes, both real and imaginary, were popular subjects in Greek art, from small gemstones to large architectural sculptures and memorials set up in honour of dead soldiers.

As is still the case today, people from different classes and backgrounds competed in civic life, though in the case of Ancient Greece, the arenas of competition ranged from public spaces to cemeteries. The powerful competed for greater public presence and recognition, and their disputes extended to the realm of luxury objects and continued after death, as is reflected in sumptuous tombs and mausoleums.

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The sculptures from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, on loan for the first time

Agon! Competition in Ancient Greece brings together, for the first time, a large number of masterpieces from the renowned vaults of the British Museum, where more than 100,000 objects form what is one of the largest and most complete collections of antiquities from the classical world.

This generous selection, formed by 172 ancient works from the British Museum, ranges from around a dozen large statues to smaller figures, from finely- engraved seals to coins, all brought together for the first time. Indeed, many of these pieces are now displayed outside the British Museum for the first time as part of this exhibition, a good number of them brought here directly from the exhibition rooms in London.

This is the case, for example, of the final section of the show, which explores death through sculptures from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the tomb of King Mausolus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Never before has the British Museum loaned out these famed, iconic sculptures, which have also been restored for the occasion.

Slab from a frieze depicting a battle between the Greeks and the Amazons. Marble relief. c. 350 BC. Found in the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, present-day Turkey. © The Trustees of the British Museum

As usual, the exhibition is completed by a publication, co-produced by ”la Caixa” Foundation and the British Museum. Edited by the curator of Agon , Peter Higgs, the publication contains contributions by the specialists Amelia Downer, Iona Eastman, Lesley Fitton, Emma Kelly, Elizabeth Shanks and Judith Swaddling.

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A large programme of activities for all audiences has also been organised around the exhibition. Besides the lecture by Peter Higgs, and specific guided tours organised for senior citizens, families and school groups, these activities include a concert performance of Pau de Nut’s Odyssey , in which this multi- faceted musician proposes a fascinating and daring re-reading of Homer’s classical tale. Moreover, Ancient Greece Day will take place on September 16. At this event, archaeologists and specialists from the KuanUm! team will introduce participants to some of the culinary and everyday customs of the Ancient Greeks.

Second exhibition co-organised with the British Museum

This exhibition is the second in a series of four joint projects between ”la Caixa” Foundation and the British Museum. This cooperation is fruit of the determination of both institutions to promote knowledge by co-organising major exhibition projects based on the British Museum’s collections.

In September 2015, Sir Richard Lambert, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the British Museum, and Elisa Durán, assistant general manager of ”la Caixa” Banking Foundation, signed a cooperation agreement between the two institutions for the coming years.

The agreement serves to intensify a relationship based on a long-standing understanding between the two institutions, which have worked together regularly for decades. The British Museum has always been a key source of works on loan for the exhibitions that ”la Caixa" devotes to the great cultures of the world.

The Pillars of Europe was the first fruit of this new stage in the cooperation between the two institutions. After its debut at CaixaForum Madrid, the exhibition was also presented at CaixaForum Barcelona and today opens at CaixaForum Runners on a trophy amphora. Trophy amphora in black-figure pottery. 333-332 BC. Saragossa. Made in Athens. Found in Benghazi, Cyrenaica, Libya. © The Trustees of the British Museum Over the coming months, this first exhibition will be followed by two more projects, which will go on

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show at the cultural centres managed by ”la Caixa” Foundation in Madrid, Barcelona, Saragossa, Seville, Palma, Girona, Tarragona and Lleida. These shows will enable visitors to discover and admire many masterpieces conserved by the British Museum, which illustrate some of the great civilisations in the history of humanity represented in its collections in London.

This ambitious agreement forms part a line of action pursued by ”la Caixa” Foundation in recent years to establish strategic alliances with leading cultural institutions around the world with a view to intensifying the organisation’s cultural activities and generating synergies with different international centres of the highest standing.

EXHIBITION SECTIONS

Nike, the goddess of victory The Ancient Greeks worshipped many gods. Some, like the Titans and the Olympic gods, were grouped into families, while others evolved around such concepts as justice, love and desire. The best-known divinity of this second type was probably Nike, the goddess of victory.

Nike was one of the deities most frequently represented in art. She appears with splendid wings, sometimes flying, at others hovering, about to land, and often riding a fast chariot between the world of mortals and the kingdom of the gods.

Nike was usually linked to Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom, and to Zeus, the father of the Olympic gods. As the personification of victory, she sits as a judge beside Zeus to decide the winners, both in battle and in sport. She was one of the busiest Greek deities, as she personally presented the winners with crowns, diadems, palms and trophies.

Children’s games According to Plato, while it is necessary to encourage children to play, they must also learn to respect society’s strict structures. From an early age, therefore, citizens learned to follow the rules and criteria set out by the powers that be.

Children had different types of toys and played a wide range of games, many of them similar to those we know today. The games were based on the principle of winning and losing, and encouraged competition. Boys began to train as athletes as soon as they entered school. Becoming a fully-fledged athlete formed part of the male rite of passing from child to man.

In some city states, such as Athens, boys were encouraged to follow a strict regime of physical exercise in order to become good soldiers, while emphasis was also placed on their intellectual development. In Sparta, on the other hand, much less importance was attached to reading and writing, and the accent was very much on learning to fight.

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In most Greek city states, girls and women were educated in their homes, generally by their husbands, brothers or parents. Outside the home, they only received music and dance classes. In Sparta, though, women had access to public education.

Sporting competitions The ancient Greeks were real sports enthusiasts. Every year they celebrated at least one major sporting event, attended by thousands of spectators who, in many cases, had travelled long distances. In times of peace, the great sporting events offered an opportunity for rivals to compete against one another. On the other hand, in times of war the fighting stopped to enable the games to take place.

The Panhellenic Games, which took place at Olympia, Delphi, Isthmia and Nemea, were open to athletes from all over the Greek world. The most sports famous competition was the event at Olympia, which took place every four years. The first Olympic Games were in 776 BC, and the event continued to take place for more than a thousand years. All these sports competitions were organised in honour of the gods, from whom the participants hoped to receive recognition of their athletic excellence.

The winners of the major games were considered true heroes, and professional athletes could live on what they won at the numerous minor competitions. At Olympia, however, the prize was a simple crown of olive branches, but victory there guaranteed fame for life. The tradition of the Olympic Games was revived in the modern era in 1896.

Theatre and music contests Performing arts contests were integral parts of religious festivals held in honour of Dionysus, god of the theatre and wine. Sponsored by benefactors, they provided entertainment for the masses. At all Panhellenic games, not only those at Olympia, contests were organised that were open to all male citizens in the Greek world.

These contests took place in open-air theatres, auditoria (odeia ) and even temporary venues. The oldest prizes were simple crowns, but writers and actors could become veritable celebrities, receiving huge monetary rewards and seeing monuments erected in their honour and to commemorate their victories.

Theatre and poetry also provided a chance to discuss important social and religious issues and to openly criticise politics and politicians. Many of the most famous Greek playwrights, such as Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles and Aristophanes, entered and won these contests. Their great works have stood the test of time and are still performed regularly, even today.

• Theatre and poetry Greek dramaturgy probably evolved from the oral tradition of the poets who told fantastic tales. The world of Greek myths and Homer’s epic poetry provide the plots and characters for many Greek tragedies and (to a lesser extent) comedies.

There were three types of plays: tragedies, satires and comedies. All the actors were men, and played both male and female roles, while the audience was

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probably made up of a mixture of men and women, and even slaves. The actors were supported by the chorus, a group of up to fifty performers who sang, danced and recited in unison, commenting on the work as it progressed

In Athens, a judge was appointed by each of the city’s ten tribes. These judges awarded prizes to the works selected in first, second and third place. Winning playwrights – not actors – received ivy crowns and bronze pots.

• Music and dance Music, dance and poetry were basic elements in the education of a citizen. Music contests were organised for children and adults, and the highest awards were given to those best at playing the zither. There were also contests for choral singing and dancing. Only men could dance in theatrical performances, while women danced in religious rituals, at athletic competitions and at banquets. Dance was an important subject in the education of both boys and girls. In the case of males, it also formed part of sports and military training.

Our knowledge of the music of Ancient Greece is limited to the few examples of musical notation that have been conserved. We can reconstruct the instruments and build up an accurate idea of exactly how they must have sounded, but we know very little about the actual melodies.

War: the supreme confrontation Conflict between rival city states and kingdoms was a constant in Ancient Greece. Most wars were fought over territory and natural resources, or simply reflected the ambitious policies of particular kings and rulers.

By the eighth century BC, there were hundreds of city states, each surrounded by their cultivated land, a scarce commodity in the rugged geography of continental Greece and the arid islands. Over time, bitter rivalries grew up between the different communities, and violence was commonly used to settle disputes over territory. Armies were formed by members of the property-owning classes, both in the cities and from rural areas. Children began military training at the age of just seven, and men could be called up to arms until well into their fifties. In this respect, the Spartans were particularly well-known for their strict regime of rigorous instruction and training.

War scenes appeared on all art forms, from sculpture and pottery to painting on panel and wrought-metal work. Inspiration was provided by both mythical and real battles, particularly from the Trojan and Persian wars.

• Greek armies and their equipment The bulk of Greek armies were made up of hoplites, citizen soldiers whose name derives from the word hoplon , meaning weapons, armament. The hoplites wore very heavy and, probably, very uncomfortable equipment, which was unsuitable for long interventions in battle. They had to pay for their own weapons and armour, so hoplite soldiers were not drawn from the poorer classes.

The cavalry was formed by members of the upper classes, who could afford the great expense of keeping horses. Cavalry was little used in battle during the earliest

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periods, basically because the rocky, mountainous landscapes of the central and southern areas of the Greek peninsula was unsuitable either for breeding or riding horses.

In around the fourth century BC, heavy bronze armour was gradually replaced by lighter, hardened materials, such as leather and linen, reinforced by bronze scales.

Heroes and myths The Ancient Greeks loved telling stories. They imagined their past as a time of legendary heroes, epic adventures and fantastic creatures. Tales tended to revolve around the actions of the Olympian gods and their adventures with the demigods who were their sons and daughters.

The main characters in these narratives were mythical heroes who fought against all sorts of adversities, competing against their rivals. The two most famous Greek heroes were Achilles and Heracles (known as Hercules by the Romans), both demigods, having one immortal and one mortal parent. Their lives were filled with personal crises, battles against other heroes and bitter rivalries.

These were gripping stories, as the Olympian gods intervened in them, using all their wily tricks in the competitive kingdom of Mount Olympus.

• The twelve labours of Heracles The Greek hero Heracles figures in many legends and countless works of art. The son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmena, he was the greatest example of the hero endowed with great physical strength, bravery and ingenuity.

Heracles’ greatest enemy is the goddess Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus. Hera tries to prevent Alcmena from giving birth to Heracles and her twin brother. Thwarted in this, she sends snakes to kill the newborns, but the baby Heracles strangles them.

In a fit of madness induced by Hera, Heracles kills his sons and his first wife, Megara. As punishment for this crime he is ordered to perform twelve prodigious, seemingly impossible labours, which he nevertheless completes. His prize is immortality. Heracles is the only hero to be converted into a god.

• The Trojan War The Trojan War is one of the most important events described in Greek myth, and was a very popular theme in both Greek and Roman art. The narrative is built up from the stories told by various authors of antiquity, particularly Homer's Iliad . The tales that Homer told were ancient, inherited from an earlier tradition of oral story- telling. The Iliad , which begins when the bloody war has already been going on for ten years, is an epic narrative that tells how the gods play a complex game in which heroes and mortals are their pawns. The story also describes the loves and greed of two royal families: the Greek Achaeans and the Trojans.

In excavations in Troy (now in Turkey), archaeologists have located the remains of an important walled city. Apparently, in around the year 1180 BC, a real attack was launched on this city, bringing about enormous destruction. It is thought that this

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battle could be at the origin of the story of the Trojan War. The Greeks identified the heroes in this legendary war with their ancestors, who, like them, fought and competed against fearsome enemies.

Social rivalry in daily life and in death The battle for status, social position, was probably the subtlest form of competition among the Ancient Greeks. There was no official competition, no event that took place at a racetrack or on a stage; rather, the arenas where citizens vied with one other to increase their social standing were communal spaces, from the agora to the sanctuaries of the gods and public cemeteries.

Competition was inherent to everyday life, and rivalry was manifested in the way in which people presented themselves and were considered by others. Personal adornments highlighted the individual’s wealth and status. Generous benefactors competed with each other to see who had the most impressive sculptural portrait erected in their honour, installed in the most outstanding site.

Only adult male citizens could take part in public affairs and politics. They competed by taking part in public assemblies, legal forums and exclusive social activities such as banquets reserved for men only (symposia ), where they could battle it out for positions of influence or status.

• Competition and fame in death The ancient Greeks took everything concerned with death very seriously. They attached great importance to funeral preparations, burials and the afterlife. Funerals could provide the perfect occasion for making lavish displays of food and drink, and their size and duration depended on the wealth and status of the deceased.

The way of presenting oneself after death was an act of social rivalry, a way of immortalising one’s status in society. To ensure maximum visibility and importance, cemeteries were usually located along the main road into the city. The mortal remains of members of the elite might be deposited in a stone chamber, with some element indicating the tomb, or some other type of funerary monument. The poor, on the other hand, were often buried directly under the ground or, at times, in large clay pots. Unmarked, their graves soon fell into oblivion.

Funeral ceremonies and monuments became so ostentatious that their characteristics were finally restricted by law. Nonetheless, those who were above the law, such as governors and monarchs, still used their lavish, costly tombs as commemorative expressions.

• The tomb of King Mausolus (r. 377-353 BC) at Halicarnassus The great tomb built for King Mausolus of Caria was the largest funerary monument indicating status. Mausolus was a satrap, that is to say, a regional governor in the Persian Empire, ruling over an important province whose capital was Halicarnassus. He was a powerful political and economic figure in the Mediterranean.

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Mausolus greatly admired Greek culture. Throughout his domains, he founded new cities based on the layout of Greek cities, and he planned the construction of his own tomb so that it would dominate Halicarnassus and be visible from far out at sea. The tomb was 45 metres high and was decorated with elaborate statues and carved friezes. According to writers of Antiquity, he spared no expense: the architects and sculptors involved were among the most famous artisans in Greece, and worked with the finest imported marble.

Due to its large size and the magnificence of its sculptures, the tomb of Mausolus is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The term “mausoleum”, meaning a great monumental tomb, also derives from his name.

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ACTIVITIES PARALLEL TO THE EXHIBITION

LECTURE BY THE CURATOR: PETER HIGGS Friday 24 November, at 7.00 p.m. Specialist in Ancient Greek sculpture and architecture at The British Museum Price per person: € 4

GUIDED TOURS Tuesdays, at 5.00 p.m. / Sundays, at 11.00 a.m. Check our website for other times Price per person: € 3

ART-OVER-COFFEE AND TOUR Wednesdays, at 4.30 p.m. Price per person: € 4

SHOW The Greek Soul or, The Distance between Desire and Reality Idea, dramaturgy and stage direction: Marc Caellas Price per person: €6

REUNION, RIVALITY AND COMPETITION IN ANCIENT GREECE 17 January | 7.00 p.m. | Eulàlia Vintró The Origin of the Greek concept ‘agon’

24 January | 7.00 p.m. | Maria Elena Redondo Greek Poetry and the Olympic Games

31 January | 7.00 p.m. | Consuelo Ruiz The great dramatic festivals of classical Athens

7 February | 7.00 p.m. | Francesca Mestre The figure of the hero in Ancient Greek society

14 February | 7.00 p.m. | Ana Iriarte Discussion of ideas and positions in the political sphere (the Assembly) and the judicial sphere (Heliaea) Coordination by Eulàlia Vintró Price per lecture: €4

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THE DAY OF ANCIENT GREECE Saturday 25 November Coordination by KuanUm! Price per person and activity: €4 (with the exception of The Odyssey, by Pau de Nut, €6)

SPA, GREEK-STYLE What products did the Greeks use in their personal hygiene routines? How did they prepare them and apply them? Family workshop: 11.00 a.m. / Adult workshop: 5.00 p.m.

DEIPNON: DINNER, GREEK-STYLE An activity designed to gain in-depth knowledge of the gastronomic secrets of ancient Greece, preparing and tasting a typical recipe. Family workshop: 12.30 a.m. / Adult workshop: 6.30 p.m.

THE ODYSSEY (BY PAU DE NUT) Performatic concert that proposes a bold and suggestive rereading of Homer’s classic tale. By Pau de Nut. Concert: 7.00 p.m.

GREEK CUISINE LIVE! Have you ever wondered what food the ancient Greeks ate? What products did they have at hand, how they obtained them, what they smelt like or how they were preserved? Discover all the answers with the KuanUm team! Show-cooking lecture: 8.00p.m.

FAMILY ACTIVITIES

NARRATED TOUR AGES 7+: IN SEARCH OF NIKE Saturdays, at 7.00 p.m. Check our website for other times Price per person: € 2

FAMILY WORKSHOP AGES 5+ Saturday 25 November, at 11.00 a.m. Price per person: € 4

FAMILY WORKSHOP AGES 5+: DEIPNON: DINNER, GREEK-STYLE Saturday 25 November, at 11.00 a.m. Price per person: € 4

MIMESIS AGES 5+ Learning and family area

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SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

One price: €25 per group Mondays to Fridays, times as arranged Bookings: 931 847 142 / [email protected]

DYNAMIC TOURS Levels: Primary School Year Three pupils and Secondary School pupils

GUIDED TOURS Levels: Secondary School pupils, Baccalaureate pupils and National Vocational Qualification (FPGM) pupils

NARRATED TOURS Stories about children, athletes and other heroes Levels: Infant School pupils and first cycle of Primary School pupils

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From the 24th of November of 2017 to the 18th of February of 2018

CaixaForum Barcelona Prices Av Francesc Ferrer i Guardia, 6-8 Admission free for ”la Caixa” customers 08038 Barcelona Visitors other than ”la Caixa” customers: €4 Tel.: 934 76 86 00 (includes admission to all exhibitions) Admission free for minors under 16 years Times Open every day Ticket sales From Monday to Sunday, from 10 am to 8 CaixaForum.com/agenda pm Tickets are also available at CaixaForum during public opening times ”la Caixa” Foundation Information Service Tel. 902 223 040 Monday to Sunday, from 9 am to 8 pm

”la Caixa” Foundation Communication Department Josué García: 934 046 151 / 638 146 330 / [email protected] Andrés Gimeno: 934 046 137 / 638 546 679 / [email protected] Multimedia Press Room: http://prensa.lacaixa.es/obrasocial @FundlaCaixa @CaixaForum #BritishCaixaForum

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