Tania Joanna Van Hoofstadt is a Belgian mixed media artist. Originally trained as an architect, she found herself craving more creative freedom—and about 20 years ago, she turned to sculpture and painting.

Since then, her work has evolved into a tactile exploration of texture, color, and material. From moss and lichen to metal scraps and engine parts, she dives into both natural and man-made worlds, zooming in until the smallest details become vast imagined landscapes. Macro photography plays a key role: a thin layer of cambium becomes a canyon; a pebble becomes a planet. Through her collages, installations, and machines, she invites viewers into these miniature universes.

Lately, she’s been capturing new “sceneries” using her handmade Landscape Slicer—a quirky, low-tech alternative to a 360° camera. Not quite efficient, but twice the fun. Because for Tania, playfulness is essential: nothing should ever get too serious.

Her first residency in Iceland, at the Fish Factory, has been everything she hoped for. Surrounded by wild landscapes and shelves stacked with wheels, tubes, and music instrument parts, she felt like she walked into her version of Valhalla.

A new Landscape Slicer was built, and ideas for more gloriously useless machines are already brewing. Maybe during the next residency?

https://www.taniajoannavanhoofstadt.be/

Thank you, Tania! :)