ARCHIVE 22

Archive 22

is an artistic exploration of species listed on the “International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN 3.1) Red List of Threatened Species” that are at risk and in need of conservation attention. Focusing on species classified as Least Concern, Near Threatened, or Vulnerable conservation statuses, the project examines those that lack strong digital visibility and are largely absent from contemporary conservation imagery.

Through a hybrid practice combining camera-based photography and synthetic AI-generated imagery, Archive 22 constructs a fictional archive that explores how non-human species are remembered, represented, and valued. The work operates between presence and absence, memory and lived experience, and the intersecting languages of conservation science and contemporary art. By reimagining underrepresented species within an archival framework, the project questions how visual culture shapes collective awareness around our planet’s biodiversity, our emotional connections to nature, and the way we experience the current sixth mass extinction.

Scientific collection and cataloging practices influence the project’s visual language. The integration of AI-generated imagery emerged from critical and thoughtful discussions around the practical and ethical challenges of photographing certain “Red List of Threatened Species,” including limited accessibility, funding constraints, and the importance of minimizing disturbance to vulnerable wildlife. AI-generated images are transparently labeled and presented alongside photographic works, transforming the viewing experience into an exercise in visual literacy and authorship.

Selected images are printed on thermal paper neutralizing how the image was produced and embracing the aesthetics of the low-resolution image. They are subsequently placed in a sealed ziplock and scanned, referencing field sampling methods and research specimen collections. Labels identify species, location, collector, and deliberately distinguish camera-based from AI-generated images. Through this process, Archive 22 functions as a reflection on displacement, memory, and the evolving role of images in shaping conservation narratives on a changing planet.

Collective 22

is formed by an international group of women photographers building transnational environmental projects about the relationships between humans, nature, and culture. We have exhibited in Hannover, Germany, as part of a collaboration with 20proKuadrat, a community-based art initiative committed to fostering engagement with contemporary art in a low-threshold, inclusive setting. Our project contributed to this approach by exploring new ways of bringing environmental narrative to the public realm, outside conventional exhibition spaces.

In 2021, we met as select candidates for the International Environmental Photography Lab cohort hosted by Native Agency. A year later, four of us formed our collective—hence the name—with the desire to create a space together to build a shared vision. We organized virtual monthly meetings to continue the conversation about conservation photography, photography practices and ethics, group exhibitions and offer each other creative reviews and many other forms of support. These sessions and workshops focused on building a global narrative about our relationship with nature and the urgent need to honor the efforts to protect our planet.

Archive 22 is a visual project envisioned by two members Polina Schneider and Céline Haeberly.

Bio C. Haeberly

Céline Haeberly is a Chinese-adopted photographer raised by American-Italian and Swiss mathematicians living in California, United States. Raised in rural Connecticut, educated in New York City and Paris followed by teaching in Thailand, Céline’s practice and imagery are a direct reflection of her diverse curiosities, international background, immersive travel, and the influences of changing environments. Her recent work explores themes of human’s relationship with nature, migration, connection, and identity.

Céline has expanded her photography practice to include art-focused conservation projects. Selected exhibitions include group and solo shows in Hannover, Germany and Ensenada, Mexico. In 2024, Céline was selected by Cristina Mittermeier for the Dos Mares Gala and Photography Auction and FOMARES League of Conservation Photographers. In her past life, she was the Lead Staff Photographer for ASICS Digital and Global Marketing.

Bio P. Schneider

Polina Schneider was born in St. Petersburg during the uncertain times of the Perestroika. With an upbringing marked by a mix of languages, cultures and religions has shaped her perception of the world, which bleeds into her photographic practice. She captures contrasts and processes that involve the search of identity, environmental themes and cultural and political issues. Her work has been exhibited internationally in Europe and the USA. Polina is a co-founder of the local collective “20proKuadrat” where she works to bring art into public spaces in Hannover.