It was in late 2020 when I came across a series of photographs published by Ulf Soltau on his own blog. They show beautifully lighted glasses with small scale ecosystems. Ulf Soltau, a biologist and book author, provides a brief but comprehensive manual on how to establish a hermetosphere that is supposed to last for years with only minimal intervention.
This was also the moment when I became familiar with the term hermetosphere. It was the combination of several factors that made this moment develop to a passion for me:
- the knowledge required to build an initial set-up of substrate, plants and water that creates a system that stays in balance for years
- the art of creating a miniature landscape with aesthetic appeal
- the craftsmanship necessary for handling delicate organisms in a small container with limited access
- the patience and near-buddhistic attitude of simply observing, not interfering, not acting, even when the system develops in unexpected directions
- the art of photography that is able to excite and inspire even people that are not particularly in love with plants
Hermetospheres 