Oliver Ullrich

Scientist and photographer Oliver Ullrich (b. 1960) returns to explore the Cabo de Gata in Andalusia, one of the driest regions in Europe. At first glance, the landscape here appears frozen and unchanging, but Ullrich tracks down the places where nature seems to communicate. Various natural objects, wind, water, and sun interact and reveal nature here as a living thing that can be experienced as a poetic rather than a purely rational quality. The images in Synaptic Landscape bear witness to vitality, beauty, and change in equilibrium—as signs of a healthy landscape. At the same time, however, they highlight the vulnerability of nature and remind us of the threat posed by humankind.