GODDESSES OF NIBIRU

The cultures that grew up on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates during antiquity laid the foundations for many of the beliefs that were to follow. These were Mesopotamian cultures, that designated numerous deities of different types, and also named a celestial body associated with the god Marduk, which they referred to as Nibiru. In recent times there has been great controversy over the existence of this planet, and the effects it could have on the one we call home, and this has been disproved by science on numerous occasions. But the truth is, question marks about it continue to be raised, because every so often we turn our thoughts back to Nibiru and the fears surrounding it.

On the one hand, there was Nibiru, the place associated with Marduk, who was patron of Babylon and god of justice, compassion, healing, regeneration or magic, and therefore represented the divine order. Its counterpoint was Irkalla, the underworld, and Nibiru was everything that hostile, dark mythical place was not. Based on this, Rómulo offers up a series of answers, or versions of the other deities that could inhabit this place.

So, Goddesses of Nibiru is a collection of different ancestral beings from a fictitious planet, Nibiru. That is why the figures we see are quasi-totems, solid as well as delicate. It is why silence reigns, but mystery and restraint do too, as they treasure what is most sacred of all: knowledge. Their size within the space results from their desire to hold our full attention and, on the other hand, demonstrate their dominance and importance, just like those ancient civilisations which were, in the artist’s words, “so monumental, we struggle to process it”. This is why many of these deities appear with their eyes closed, surrounded by ethereal mists, showing the “distance” that separates them from mere mortals.

Ultimately, these feminine figures, strong and confident, but also sensual, allow us a glimpse into that world, Niburu.

PhD. Alejandra Rodríguez Cunchillos Curator and PhD in Art History