Matúš Astrab

Matúš Astrab (b. 1991) is a visual artist specializing in multimedia and interactive installations, photography, video production, and animation. His work reflects on global ecological issues, such as deforestation and the decline of insect populations. Often driven by deep scientific research, his practice combines contemporary technologies with living organisms.

He graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica (Digital Media Studio, led by Prof. Michal Murín, ArtD.). To date, he has participated in over 40 art events across Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Iceland, and the United Kingdom. In 2019, he held his first solo exhibition, Processes, presented his artistic research at the European Researchers’ Night, and exhibited at the Biela Noc (White Night) International Festival of Contemporary Art.

Currently, he continues his artistic practice with an expansion into filmmaking, primarily through the Icelandic-Slovak art project Reforestation of the Past, which has achieved success at several film festivals.

ARTWORK

HARVEST (Installation)
This multimedia installation addresses the escalating global crisis of deforestation—an environmental disaster driven by human activity, systemic corruption, and obsolete agricultural practices. As an audiovisual artist, my objective is to translate abstract ecological data into a visceral, sensory experience that challenges the viewer’s perception of our planet’s future.

The core of the work utilizes real-time data from theworldcounts.com, tracking the global rate of forest loss. This data is processed via custom software and the Arduino platform to create a direct physical and digital reaction: for every 100 hectares destroyed, a kinetic mechanism symbolizes the felling of a tree. Simultaneously, a high-fidelity digital projection—designed with a realistic game-engine aesthetic—transforms a lush forest into a barren wasteland in response to the live data.

By synchronizing a characteristic soundscape with these visual and mechanical shifts, the installation forces a confrontation with the acceleration of environmental decay. It positions the audience as witnesses to a real-time catastrophe, bridging the gap between distant global statistics and immediate human feeling. The work ultimately explores our collective agency in determining how quickly a living landscape is reduced to a void.

ARTWORK LINK
https://www.matusastrab.com/portfolio/harvest/

TALK

Exploring Nature through Technology and Media Art

Visual artist Matúš Astrab shares a selection of his work at the intersection of technology, science, and ecology. The talk offers a look into the conceptual and technical side of his interactive installations, projection mapping, and projects with natural elements. It also includes a short preview of the project Reforestation of the Past, opening a broader conversation on how digital media can reflect on nature and ecological themes.

WEBSITE
HOME – matusastrab.com