Pareidolia, Oscar Santens

A minimalist metal sculpture that plays with our perception and our instinct to recognize shapes.

Pareidolia is a metal wall sculpture by Oscar Santens that questions how we look at and interpret forms. Its title refers to pareidolia, the phenomenon that leads us to spontaneously recognize familiar shapes in abstract or ambiguous elements. Here, a few lines and volumes are enough to awaken our perception: depending on the angle, the light, and the viewer's perspective, a form can appear and then disappear. Through CONCREET., Oscar Santens develops a practice at the intersection of collectible design, art, and craft. He transforms raw, industrial materials, such as metal and concrete, into objects where the material, the gesture, and the creator's mark intentionally remain present. With Pareidolia, the simplicity of the metal and the precision of the form deliberately leave room for interpretation. The work does not impose what we should see; rather, it reveals our instinctive need to find meaning in what we look at.