Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Shangri La Museum Partner for Historic Exhibit

Assassin's Creed Mirage and the Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture, & Design, a center of the Doris Duke Foundation in Honolulu, Hawaii have teamed up for a new exhibit, Artifacts In Play with Assassin's Creed Mirage, running now until August 30. Exploring the intersection of gaming, art, and history, the exhibit showcases two of the real-world objects Assassin's Creed Mirage highlights in its History of Baghdad feature: the Blown Glass Jar with Trailed Zigzag Decoration and the Twelve-sided Bronze Mortar with Animal Finials and Vegetal Motif Panels. The History of Baghdad feature in Assassin's Creed Mirage offers players curated insights into the Abbasid era, with contributions from leading institutions, including Shangri La.

"The inclusion of Shangri La's two remarkable artifacts in Mirage was essential in our effort to bring the rich history behind our game to life through the Codex, an educational portal which offers players expertly curated insights into the history, art and culture of 9th century Baghdad. The beautifully crafted mortar helped us illustrate the development of peer-reviewed research---an important step toward the modern Scientific Method---while the exquisite glass jar served as a testament to the incredible skill of bazaar artisans. We are grateful for the opportunity to share these historical treasures with millions of players," said Raphaël Weyland, Lead Ubisoft Historian on AC Mirage.

The exhibition invites visitors to learn how these objects were digitally incorporated into Assassin's Creed Mirage while examining the ways in which videogames serve as modern platforms for cultural preservation, historical interpretation, and artistic appreciation. Artifacts in Play with Assassin's Creed Mirage also offers interactive digital displays as well as behind-the-scenes looks at how the development team at Ubisoft Bordeaux recreated ninth-century Baghdad. The substantial research behind each Assassin's Creed game allows for key institutional partnerships; content from the games can be used to provide innovative context and immersive elements to exhibition and museum discourse.

"Through this valuable partnership with Ubisoft, this exhibition demonstrates how art, history, and technology can intersect to create meaningful cultural experiences," said Ben Weitz, Executive Director at Shangri La. "We are grateful for collaborations of this caliber that allow Shangri La to continue to push the envelope and connect diverse audiences through real-world storytelling in an increasingly digital age."

Assassin's Creed Mirage is out now on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Amazon Luna, iOS and PC through Steam, the Epic Games Store and the Ubisoft Store, and included with a Ubisoft+ subscription.