A Return of the Allegory?

Allegory, originally an element of rhetoric, has a long tradition in European visual art. It was already widespread in ancient Greece, particularly during the Hellenistic period, and can be found, for example, on painted vases. In the Middle Ages, Christian motifs such as the cardinal virtues or the deadly sins were primarily depicted allegorically, and in the early modern period, allegories experienced their heyday, particularly during the Baroque era. With the onset of modernity, they lost significance, yet they can still be found occasionally in the present day, often as personifications. Today, it is primarily found in other fields such as autofiction, mysticism, astrology, esotericism, and science fiction. An exhibition at Moderna Museet Stockholm brings allegory back into painting: Over twenty artists present new works in a site-specific, immersive environment designed by the research-based design studio Formafantasma. House of Nisaba: New Stories of Painting runs from May 14 to August 30.

The title of the exhibition refers to Nisaba, a Sumerian goddess of grain, and later also of writing and wisdom. Perhaps a nod to the long history of allegory and its cultural dissemination. Artists featured in the exhibition include Nicole Eisenman, Hortensia Mi Kafchin, Jill Mulleady, Wangechi Mutu, Mohammed Sami, Selma Selman, Salman Toor, and Evelyn T. Wang.

House of Nisaba: New Stories of Painting is the final Stockholm exhibition by curator Hendrik Folkerts, who worked there for nearly five years. Previously, he served as a curator at the Art Institute of Chicago. Since February 2026, Folkerts has been serving as chief curator at the Kunsthaus Zürich.