Erik Mathias

Hunting Trees explores the value of constructed nature, focusing on urban developing compensations for lost biodiversity, linked to topiary nurseries that hold a long tradition of moulding a so called superior vegetation. I researched the absurd logic of eco-points that quantify the value of nature and justify the construction of its replacements. Using the case of the Overmeers Park in Ghent, where one half of the park is meant to compensate for the destruction of the other. I simply question the metrics behind these substitutions.

Can one square meter of greenery truly equal two? By focusing on the experiential qualities of compensation landscapes, Hunting Trees presents an artistic perspective that encourages awareness & reflection without explicit political positioning. It opens space for dialogue about how nature is represented, measured & consumed in contemporary urban context, inviting viewers to engage with the topic through the ambiguity & layered meanings of the pictures themselves.

Erik Mathias (*1999) is a Luxembourgish artist who works at the intersection of graphic design, photography. He is driven by the lost past and an unfamiliar present. Having studied at KASKA and winning its photography prize in 2025, he is now working between Antwerp and Luxembourg. His practice combines medias and sensory experiences to explore how images trigger and communicate memory across cultural and urban contexts. He is interested in the juxtapositions of reality and the absence of time.

Exhibition views © Cité de l'image / Hype / CAL