As part of our Artist-in-Residence program, we invite various artists to spend time on the island of Föhr for inspiration and work. In the late summer of 2025, photographer Susan Sidebottom from North Carolina, USA, visited us.
Wenke Röschmann, who works in digital media and marketing, talked with the artist about her work, which is shaped by the connections people have to each other and to their environment.
Is this your first time on Föhr? What has been your impression of the island?
Yes, this is my first time on the island. I did a lot of research on Föhr before my journey and so I thought that I had an idea of what it would be like. But then I got here, and it was just overwhelming in a really positive way. I have loved my experience on the island and I think the people are incredible and I felt very much welcomed.
How would you describe your work to someone who is new to your art?
I like to think about my photography as visual storytelling. I like to focus on people in their circumstances and helping others understand these circumstances and gain a new perspective on something. I talk to a lot of people and approach my work from the standpoint of research and collaborations, which are critical to what I do. So, I work very much from a journalistic standpoint, as I have a background in journalism. I think that that’s probably the best way that I would describe it.
Can you describe your working process to us?
I come with a general idea, and I typically have a plan. Once I start to learn more about a place and the environment, it really shapes the direction I go in. So, I start with a plan, but I am very open to letting the images and the people lead me to learning more and then the visual storytelling shapes itself. I don’t come in with a set idea of ‘This is what I want to do’ and try to make the images look like what I want. Instead, I try to discover what the images themselves tell us.
Can you give us an insight into what has sparked your creative interest during your time here?
In the two weeks I was here I experienced all the weather, which is exciting because it presented me with a lot of different lighting challenges and opportunities.
What I have learned about this place is that the people here are really resilient and have a lot of courage. As I started to learn more about the island the connection between Föhr and the United States, especially New York City, really shifted into focus. A lot of people were leaving were leaving Föhr and the North Frisian Islands because the opportunity and the money just wasn’t here. They had to find other ways to take care of themselves and their families.
I have also been looking at the way climate change is affecting the island. In connection to that I think about immigration and migration and about how other species are affected by climate change. The landscape, the environment, the vegetation and the species on the island are also changing because of climate change. I plan on going back to the U.S. and really spent some time researching more about that connection between us and other species and how we are similar in our behaviours, when faced with challenges.
The people that I’ve talked to on Föhr have been really open with me and eager to share the experiences that they or their loved ones have had in New York City. They have connected me with people in New York and other places in the US as well, Iowa for example. It is exciting for me to be able to go back to the States and seek out those individuals and tell their story from the perspective of living in America. I have also photographed farm workers in Iowa and some of these places already, so they are familiar to me. That is really unusual and meaningful, because it makes Föhr a place that feels very comfortable to me, even though I have never been here before and I don’t speak the language.
What has been your favourite experience during your stay on Föhr?
I’ve had so many great experiences and encounters. I would have to say my walk on the “Watt” was probably the most different thing I’ve ever done. I went out with Matthias and Tanja and we left at 5:30 in the morning and were on the move for almost five hours. We started in knee-deep water, when it was still pitch black and were out on the sea for the sunrise. It was beautiful and awe-inspiring. It was just a reminder of how small we are in this vast- world and of how important the Nationalpark Wattenmeer is to the eco-system. You’re even with the horizon, and you look out and it’s so vast and the sky is so large – I can’t imagine a better and more unique experience.
One of my favourite experiences was also my encounter with a couple that I just loved spending time with. For our last visit I met them in their garden. The husband is 94 and she, I believe, is 91 years old and they have been married for 66 years. I probably spent a total of six to eight hours with them over a couple of visits, and I look forward to spending more time with them when I come back again. Just seeing the love they have for each other and being able to experience their hospitality was amazing. He makes the best cup of coffee, and she makes a wonderful desert. I am so appreciative – it is such a gift for people to give me their time.
Thank you for the conversation!