We often search - both consciously and subconsciously - for familiar patterns in inanimate objects or abstract shapes, such as the contours of human faces. Pareidolia is a cognitive phenomenon that is deeply rooted in our way of perceiving and leads us to suggest features in random stimuli, even if they are not present. But what happens when artistic means are used to question this human need for recognition and meaning, for coincidence and intention? With his humorous and critical interventions in Saxony's forests, Lucas Oertel subtly breaks with stereotypical viewing habits. Using minimalist means, he "draws" faces on the bark of trees, opening up a whole new dimension of aesthetic perception that emphasises the connection between people, art and the environment. His tree faces are often painted in bright colours, making them appear cheerful at first glance and reinforcing the feeling of closeness and familiarity projected by the attribution of human features. At the same time, Oertel draws attention to the surrounding landscape - to its beauty and transience. The peculiarity of his interventions does not remain unreflected: his fleeting interventions in an existing ecosystem, whose natural changes he illuminates as well as those caused by human action, manifest themselves in his video works. (Anna Schinzel)