The House of European History in Brussels’ Park Leopold opens its doors to a new temporary exhibition, ‘Fake for Real: A history of forgery and falsification’ on the 24th of October, 2020. Exploring the fascinating world of forgery, fakes and falsehoods, visitors will be swept along a dramatic narrative, spanning from antiquity to the present day.
An artful display of mirrors at the entrance and a labyrinthine path through the exhibits immediately set the tone for the visit – how do we find or evade the truth? How do we play with illusions? Visitors are invited to reflect on how falsehoods are told and for what purpose. As exhibition curator Joanna Urbanek explains: “We have to be aware that sometimes we want to be deceived, to transcend our daily existence, to daydream. It’s human to embrace certain fakes. But that inclination can be exploited, and the consequences huge.”