New photo gallery at the Schleswig-Holstein Ministry of the Environment
On January 20, 2026, Environment Minister Tobias Goldschmidt, together with State Secretary Katja Günther, opened a new, permanent photo gallery in the Kiel Ministry for Energy Transition, Climate Protection, Environment and Nature (MEKUN) in the presence of invited guests.
On display are 16 fine art prints from my two black and white series. “A turning point. The fishermen from Holm in Schleswig an der Schlei” and “Nomads of our time. Migrant sheep farms in Schleswig-Holstein”The works were purchased by the ministry and are now on permanent display at the ministerial level of the building.
The opening was accompanied by a greeting from the Minister and a presentation by Dr. Bernd Brandes-Druba, who outlined the perspective of Sparkassenstiftung Schleswig-Holstein contributed as a supporter of the photography projects and acknowledged the long-standing collaboration.
The two series tell the stories of two ancient crafts deeply rooted in Schleswig-Holstein, crafts that are also at a historical turning point. Their themes touch upon key issues of nature and resource conservation that the ministry deals with daily.
Quote from my opening speech
I didn't want to document these people because they 'disappear'. I wanted to photograph them because they have something to tell us.
These pictures don't just tell a story about work. They tell a story about a relationship – between people, animals, and nature.
These photographs are not about nostalgia. Rather, they address the question of how a craft based on a fragile ecosystem can survive.What connects the series?
Both of these ancient crafts represent something that has become rare in our time: a direct, unmediated relationship with nature.
And that is precisely why these pictures belong in this place.
Thanks
My thanks go to the Ministry of the Environment for the purchase and professional presentation of the works, as well as to Dr. Bernd Brandes-Druba as Managing Director of the Sparkassenstiftung Schleswig-Holstein, which has supported and made both series possible for many years.
The pictures are now permanently displayed in the hallways of the house.
I hope that they not only decorate, but also inspire — to pause, to reflect, perhaps even to talk.
