Hunting & Collecting

Hunting & Collecting offers an in-depth look into the poetic and conceptual world of Belgian artist Stief DeSmet, whose work explores the complex relationship between nature, culture, and human intervention. In his practice, DeSmet moves as "a collector" seamlessly between painting, sculpture, performance, and installation, creating visual narratives that oscillate between irony, nostalgia, and critical reflection. Through a series of striking works and thoughtful essays, Hunting & Collecting examines the artist’s ongoing dialogue with the natural world — not as an untouched ideal, but as a space shaped and reshaped by human desire and imagination. DeSmet’s art embodies the tension between the longing for a pure, utopian nature and the realities of contemporary, consumption-driven life. Richly illustrated and conceptually layered, this monograph offers a comprehensive insight into DeSmet’s oeuvre, tracing his evolution from the hunter and urban observer to rural storyteller. With contributions by curators and art critics, Hunting & Collecting captures an artist whose work stands as both a critique and a celebration of humankind’s enduring fascination with nature. Thoreau's Walden is continuous inspiration for the artist. He even built a replica of Thoreau's cabin in his artistic garden.