KristofLab

Human as Error

Humanity has existed on Earth for approximately 300,000 years, while life began around 3.5 billion years ago. Our species only began to drastically reshape the planet around the time of the Industrial Revolution, and the majority of this impact has occurred in just the last 70 years. From the perspective of natural biodiversity, we may regard ourselves as an error. Looking at the past century alone, it’s no exaggeration to speak of a two-thirds decline in plant and animal species. Earth has experienced five mass extinctions in its history, each wiping out around 75% of life. According to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), about 27% of currently known species are now threatened, including 25% of mammals, 13% of birds, 41% of amphibians, and 33% of plants.

The series is set in Szentkirályszabadja, a former Soviet military base near Veszprém, Hungary, which was abandoned after the political transition of the 1990s. The human-built environment there has since been overtaken by nature. Through these images, I explore the conceptual disappearance of humans from nature. It only takes a few decades for domesticated landscapes to be reclaimed and biodiversity to begin restoring itself.

The depopulation of settlements is not a planned event—it is the result of random circumstances, which nonetheless stem from human activity. Error and its aesthetic are central to this project. My painterly method emphasizes randomness and abstraction, creating glitched surfaces through expressive brushwork.

With this series, I aim to rethink landscape painting. Nature reclaims what was taken, restoring an “original” state where we can once again witness its grandeur and force—towering above civilization itself.

About the Artist

KristofLab (b. 1988, Győr) is a Budapest-based interdisciplinary artist. He graduated from the Hungarian University of Fine Arts (2012) and studied at HfBK Dresden via Erasmus. He took part in the Budapest Art Mentor Program (2019–2020) and was a core member of Ziggurat Project (2015–2023), collaborating on site-specific performances across Europe. He participated in residencies in the Netherlands, Sweden, Slovakia, and Austria, and has worked on projects funded by Creative Europe and the Visegrad Fund. His recent exhibitions include Turbina Gallery, ISBN Gallery, and Godot Institute of Contemporary Art. He was awarded the Derkovits Scholarship (2022), shortlisted for the Strabag Art Award (2022), and received the Republican. His works have been presented at Kunsthalle Budapest, Ludwig Museum, GODOT Institute of Contemporary Art, MODEM, and international venues such as Boston, Seöul, London, Rome, Berlin, Münich, Vienna, Brussel, Warsav, Krakow. His practice often extends to collaborative, research-based formats.