After the great success of the PHALLUS. Norm & Form exhibition, GUM & Botanical Garden will open the new sensational exhibition Wonder Room of TRUTH at the end of March 2024.

Under the motto "Immerse yourself in the Wonder Room of TRUTH and learn everything about the truth... Or not?" we ask ourselves why people often want to uncover the truth at any cost. What exactly are we looking for? Does absolute certainty exist? And can we find it? What is the role of science in this? Sometimes we have to trust others, but whom should we trust, and whom not? What feels real and what feels fake? If films, books, and theater are not real, why do they sometimes move us deeply? Is what we now know about the past the (only) truth?

And what unsuspecting visitors will gradually realize is: does a museum always tell the truth?

The Wonder Room of TRUTH exhibition is created with advice and support from dozens of scientific and artistic experts from UGent and beyond. In the exhibition, GUM once again brings together big names and young talent from the art world with exceptional research from both domestic and international sources. All of this is presented in an immersive setting of a wonder room, where you can marvel at wondrous and unique objects from our own collections and from national and international (scientific) heritage collections. Moreover, we are developing fascinating citizen science projects in collaboration with various scientists, in which you can participate live.

The exhibition extends into the rest of the museum and the Botanical Garden. In programming and educational offerings, we address scientific literacy and themes such as truth and news media, deep fake and artificial intelligence, historical truth and decolonization, delusion and truth (regarding psychosis and mental resilience), and bias and prejudices. In short, themes that are highly relevant today, especially among young people. For this, GUM collaborates with experts and organizations from the academic, cultural, and social fields. It will also develop cross-disciplinary educational packages for secondary education.

After the overwhelming media and visitor success of the PHALLUS exhibition, TRUTH is the exhibition in which we fully develop our identity, mission, and vision as a young museum. With the support of the National Lottery and its players, we can elevate this exhibition to an even higher level. With this exhibition, we want to show that a return visit to GUM is well worth it. We aim to create an impact on the scientific literacy of the young audience and further develop our identity.