The Shelter
of
Stories

About the
Exhibition

This groundbreaking exhibition, curated by writer Marina Warner with Oli McCall and Roger Malbert and designed by Simon Costin, explored the art of storytelling. It examined its close relationship with the sense of home and belonging, as well as its vital role in times of upheaval and displacement.

Bringing together historic objects and images, alongside works by leading contemporary artists, the exhibition introduced visitors to a different approach to storytelling, and asked, through a range of artefacts in different media, why do we tell stories and what do they achieve?

The Shelter of Stories unfolded in distinct sections, with each one focusing on a different aspect of storytelling.

The first transported visitors to the sites where storytelling has traditionally taken place, from tales told by the hearth side and the campfire to puppet shows in the bustling city street. Works by South Korean artist Do Ho Suh (b.1962) and Lebanese artist Mounira al Solh (b.1978) embodied the title of the show, highlighting how stories can provide shelter, where fears can be faced, difficult subjects addressed, knowledge passed on, and hope kindled. An array of objects including puppets, masks, dioramas, instruments, and board games displayed the creative methods storytellers around the globe have used to breathe life into their subjects and reveal some of the many ways stories travel and enter our consciousness.

Subsequent rooms looked at the function’s stories fulfil, socially and personally. These include confronting and overcoming dangers and monsters, imagining and entering other worlds, sharing wisdom and knowledge, coexisting with animals and natural phenomena and building collective solidarity and hope in times of difficulty. Works by artists including Paula Rego (1935-2022), Ana Maria Pacheco (b.1943) were among the highlights.

The role of story-making, in terms of fostering a feeling of belonging, formed the central theme of the show’s final section. Envisaged as a space for communion and creative expression, this part considered the importance of building culture together, between locals and incomers, nationals and strangers. The exhibition drew on the Stories in Transit project – which began in 2016 in Palermo, Sicily, where many of those fleeing wars and famine arrive from different parts of the world.