The long-term project ‘Scope of Responsibility’ explores how shipping, invasive species, tourism, and climate change are leaving their mark on the Wadden Sea—one of the last remaining large-scale natural ecosystems in Europe. Since 2015, the artist has been documenting the gradual transformation of this fragile coastal landscape.

Her collection consists of algae, debris, litter, and other materials washed ashore. Each object is carefully catalogued with a number, name, and the year it was found. Through her photography, the subtle processes of decay and change become tangible, giving visual form to what is often overlooked.

‘Scope of Responsibility’ is both a visual archive and a call to awareness—celebrating the richness of the Wadden Sea while highlighting the threats it continues to face, even in an era of growing environmental consciousness.

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Ulrike Hannemann, born in 1977, studied Fine Art/Photography at the Academy of Visual Arts Leipzig and graduated as a master student in 2013. In her photographs, collages, and installations, she explores themes such as ecology, climate change, and sustainable urban development. In changing contexts and arrangements, Hannemann examines how images are constructed and perceived. She asks what makes an image legible—and what it takes for it to function as one.