Photography and food4future: A new perspective on algae research

Interview with communication design student Finja Hansen, who followed the macroalgae project with her camera.

20.04.2023

The student photo project sheds light on macroalgae from a new perspective. Photo: Finja Hansen (image detail)

Finja Hansen is doing a B.A. in communication design at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin (HTW Berlin). As part of a photography seminar project on the topic of "Drängende Gegenwart” (Urgent Present), she followed the research on macroalgae at the Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ). The result is a photo series that shows food4future research from a new perspective.

What made you connect the subject of "Urgent Present" with research on macroalgae?

Finja Hansen: I thought a lot about the topic: What is actually urgent right now? There are many, many things that are urgent in this world at this time, including many negative things. And although it's important to talk about them, I wanted to choose a topic that was more hopeful, more positive. The starting point was my own perspective: me as part of society. From there, I quickly came to the topic of food and the future, because I follow a vegan diet. Food is socially very relevant - so what happens in the future? Especially algae as a non-animal alternative and the research on it was particularly interesting to me, because I didn't know much about it myself at that point. So I did some research on that. I had already heard about food4future at my university.

<p>Green algae cultivation<br />
Photo: Finja Hansen, HTW Berlin</p> — Green algae cultivation
Photo: Finja Hansen, HTW Berlin

How did you approach your photo project?

Finja Hansen: First I had a preliminary talk with Prof. Susanne Baldermann and Anna Fricke, where I was able to develop a rough idea of the project. Then I visited them several times at the IGZ and was able to see everything with my own eyes and my camera and compare my ideas with reality. I followed Anna Fricke in her everyday life and asked questions. In every room we were in, there were so many impressions that I first absorbed and I took many, many photos. Based on these photos, I determined the visual language and imagery of my photo series.

What would you like your pictures to express?

Finja Hansen: I wanted to show: Who are the people behind the science? What are they doing? I wanted to work in a very abstract way, so that viewers would have to riddle a bit and perhaps be inspired to think more about the subject. I also wanted to show the narrative of a future lab, to illustrate that on the one hand the future is already here, already happening. On the other hand, I wanted to highlight the enigmatic. I followed this vision and so the visual language should be very futuristic.

<p>"Although I like the picture, I decided not to include it in the final selection because of its 'shock appeal'", says Finja Hansen.<br />
Photo: Finja Hansen, HTW Berlin</p> — "Although I like the picture, I decided not to include it in the final selection because of its 'shock appeal'", says Finja Hansen.
Photo: Finja Hansen, HTW Berlin

What challenges did you face during the realization of your project vision?

Finja Hansen: One big challenge was that I had to familiarize myself with a very complex topic that was new to me and I wanted to understand everything immediately. The subject matter is incredibly intricate, and I wanted to become an algae expert right away - which, of course, is not possible. I also really wanted to bring out the futuristic in the photos. But I think that worked out very well. Anna [Fricke] had a lot of ideas and it was fun to work out those ideas and visions together and capture them with the camera.

What was particularly impressive for you?

Finja Hansen: I was most impressed by the algae room in the basement of the institute. Before I went there, I imagined a huge laboratory that looked like something out of a science fiction movie. The real room looks very different from a movie set and is not as big as I imagined. Nevertheless, the room tells so much and has so many little sights. That was very fascinating and somehow very nice, especially since the space is such a personal project close to Anna Fricke's heart.

<p>Algae tee.<br />
Photo: Finja Hansen, HTW Berlin</p> — Algae tee.
Photo: Finja Hansen, HTW Berlin

Which photo do you particularly like out of your series?

Finja Hansen: There is not just one! One of the photos I find aesthetically very pleasing, was in fact taken by chance when we were in the greenhouse with the large garbage cans of macroalgae. I just photographed the ground, you can not see much at all: the ground, a cable. Of course, the photo is not directly related to the subject, but it inspired me to work more abstractly. My absolute favorite is the photo with the Petri dishes in the poison-green light that I took in the algae room - even my professor looked at it and said "That's it!". It has suspense and is kind of eerie. That's the reason why it's opening my series.

We presented our photos in class during the course of the semester project and got feedback. My fellow classmates were totally enthusiastic and asked with interest what can be seen in the pictures and we put together different series. Of course, that's motivating and gives you self-confidence.

Have you also tried macroalgae yourself?

Finja Hansen: (laughs) Yes, actually. I drank a wakame tea with Anna Fricke, which I then also purchased. Salty and warm - I liked it very much.

Interview: J. Vogt/IGZ

Photo series "Algae"

Finja Hansen, HTW Berlin

"Uncomfortable prospects: Increasing population growth and environmental changes leading to decreasing availability of agricultural land give a sense of unease and anxiety. Humans themselves are perpetrators of these circumstances. The potential plant based food source consisting of macroalgae and halophytes, is currently being studied in many ways. A future which is already present and yet seems as futuristic."

<p>Photo: private.</p> — Photo: private.

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