Wunderkammer of TRUTH: A Visual Retrospective
Dive into the world of Wunderkammer of TRUTH - find out all about the truth.... or not!
Expo Wunderkammer of TRUTH
28/03/2024 - 21/04/2025
In the expo, we explored both what truth is and what it is not. What do we really want to know? Does absolute certainty exist? And how do we find it? What is the role of science in this? Sometimes we have to rely on others, but on whom, and on whom not?
If film, books and theatre are not real, why do they sometimes grab us by the throat? Is what we know or learn about the past now the (only) truth?
But also: does a museum actually always tell the truth?
GUM once again brought together extraordinary research from home and abroad with big names and young talent from the art world such as Kehinde Wiley, Will Cotton, Nick Ervinck, Gideon Kiefer, Babette Van Rafelghem, Charles De Geyter, ...
Curious?
Director Marjan Doom takes you through the expo...
Expo programme
Visitors were indulged in a series of immersive moments: from inspiring conversations during TRUTHtellers, unique guided tours and MuST interventions on Museum Night, to the vibrant weekend of LIES. During the Lecture & Performance evenings, art and science entered into dialogue through theatrical interventions and stimulating ideas.
The full programme offered space for wonder, interaction and reflection - on the boundary between fact and fiction, feeling and reason. And as is fitting for any truth — or lie — everything ended in silence: the final chapter of a story that, above all, dared to ask questions rather than give ready-made answers.
Let's dive!
TRUTHtellers / WAARzeggers
During three editions of TRUTHtellers / WAARzeggers, researchers, artists, and experts by experience engaged in open, curious conversations —always starting from doubt. Each dialogue offered the audience a glimpse behind the façade of certainty, inviting them to reflect, empathise, and even question their own truths.
The first edition explored truth practices and their healing power, with Tine Destrooper (Director of Justice Visions and Professor of Law and Criminology), Sofie Verclyte (Researcher), and Chokri Ben Chikha (Artistic Director, Lecturer and Researcher) reflecting on how communities process traumatic events.
The second edition focused on 'legal truth', as Babette Van Rafelghem (forensic pathologist), Nina Van Eeckhaut (defense attorney), and Hans De Waele (magistrate) discussed the complex relationship between evidence, justice, and factual truth in court.
The third edition addressed 'historical truth', with Laura Nsengiyumva, Philsan Osman, and Berber Bevernage (moderated by Lyvia Diser, scientific employee at GUM ) examining how marginalised voices and shifting narratives continue to reshape our understanding of the past.
Lecture & Performance
Short Of Lying
Luanda Casella brought her acclaimed performance to the GUM for this expo. With her TED-Talk style and unique take on deception and truth, she effortlessly captivated the audience. On the second night, her doppelgänger Bavo Buys took over, with their own interpretation of the play. Together, they provided an immersive experience in which we constantly balanced between truth and deception. This intriguing performance was performed in collaboration with NTGent.
Blinked Myself Awake
On an intimate Tuesday evening, we welcomed Magnum photographer Bieke Depoorter to GUM & Botanical Garden for the launch of her latest book Blinked Myself Awake. In her work, Bieke explores the power and fragility of memory, the human desire for objectivity and the elusiveness of ‘the truth’ - themes that tie in seamlessly with the core of our exhibition Wunderkammer of TRUTH.
I Remember - Performance
As house maker of GUM & Botanical Garden, playField specially reworked their 2021 performance I Remember into a new, poignant performance about human memory for this expo. In collaboration with Wintercircus, the performance was given an ingenious stage design that blended perfectly with the architecture of the iconic rotunda hall. The result was an immersive experience in which set, movement and memory went into dialogue.
I Remember // Moving Monoliths takes you on a philosophical journey through personal and collective memories. Four performers bring personal stories and perspectives to life. Memories are shared and woven into an intriguing web of stories.
Marjan Doom
Director GUM & Botanical Garden
As a Forum for Science, Doubt, and Art, we see ourselves as bridge builders, thriving in the space ‘in between’. We like to look beyond the walls, believing it keeps our vision sharp, dynamic, and innovative.
”weekend of LIES / LEUGENweekend
During the 'weekend of LIES' on 15 and 16 March, the truth was temporarily sidelined. Together with artists, researchers and young liars, we delved into deception, myths and manipulation. From the absurd Bluff Palace and the very first ' World Cup of the Werewolf game" to a disarmingly honest LIES-breakfast about love, it was delicious - and that is no lie!
Guided tours
For the duration of the expo, visitors were taken in tow by experienced guides, in intimate tours full of wonder, questions and unexpected insights. Whether it was a quiet Sunday morning or an atmospheric Late Thursday - each guide made you look at the truth in a different way.
Especially during the 'weekend of LIES', there was another twist: our guides tested how gullible you really are. They guided you through the exhibition with a wink, a lie here and there, and made you doubt everything you thought you knew for sure.
The doors are closed, the questions linger on!
In April 2025, we closed the doors of Wunderkammer of TRUTH.
But we are not standing still. Behind the scenes, something new is growing - an expo for March 2026!
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Look back on the beautiful photographs!
Did you know that GUM & Botanical Garden is now also on Pinterest, where you will find images, inspiration and a visual review of Wunderkammer of TRUTH.
