Luc Tuymans's First Brussels Solo Show at Wiels Explores Reality TV

Luc Tuymans's first solo exhibition in Brussels opened at Wiels from April 23 to August 2, 2009, featuring a new series inspired by Thomas Pynchon's novel and centered on reality TV, instantaneity, and the virtual. The show, titled after a diptych of a gardener digging in a walled garden, is conceived as a complete series following earlier works on Jesuit order and Disney. Tuymans used diverse sources including the internet and personal memories, and had all windows unblocked to bring natural light into the space, creating a dialogue between painting tonality and room light. The exhibition coincided with Art Brussels and other shows in the city, including Bruno Serralongue's photographs of Tibetan communities, Niele Toroni's radical presentation at Galerie Meert, David Lamelas's film at Jan Mot, Peter Downsbrough's displays at Galerie Erna Hecey and La Verrière, Matthew Barney's drawings and book-sculptures at Gladstone Gallery, Michel Mouffe's Pascaliniens at Galerie Faider, Thierry De Cordier's paintings at Xavier Hufkens, Claire Fontaine's washing machine at Sorry We're Closed, and Tobias brothers' Die Mappe at Galerie Rodolphe Janssen. Thomas Lerooy won the first Art Brussels public art prize at Egmont Park. Marin Kasimir's updated photographic installation was shown at Place Fontainas.