Exhibition Review: Thomas Helbig, Victor Man, Helmut Stallaerts in 'A Vague Feeling of Unease'

A 2013 exhibition featuring artists Thomas Helbig, Victor Man, and Helmut Stallaerts explores themes of unease and the uncanny through diverse mediums. Helmut Stallaerts, a Belgian artist, creates oppressive works including paintings on unconventional supports like a jigsaw puzzle in 'Puzzle' (2009–10), depicting sinister uniformed men with a leader wearing a funnel, and 'The Opportunist' (2011), set in a corporate office with subdued sallow colors. Victor Man employs dark, near-black palettes in paintings such as 'Grand Practice' (2009), showing a man dressed as a horse in near-darkness, and 'Untitled (From, If Mind Were All There Was)' (2009), portraying a violent spanking scene. Thomas Helbig contributes tall sculptures that disintegrate at the top, revealing elements like sleeves or buttons, alongside paintings with monochrome backgrounds and syringe-applied paint strings, emphasizing materiality. Stallaerts's 'Josefine' (2010) is painted on a human skull, while Man's 'Ubiquitous You' (2008) features a headless doll mounted on a pelt. The curators strategically included Helbig's abstract works to provide balance, preventing the show from becoming overly heavy. The exhibition was reviewed in ArtReview's April 2013 issue.