The Future of Agriculture 

Insect Farm, Amiens, France, 2023 © Gregor Sailer

By Allison Wallis

 Gregor Sailer, a photographer, captures agricultural farms, such as greenhouses, insect and jellyfish farms, to present the modern systems that control our food production and distribution. His photography provides insight into efficient technologies that researchers use to develop advanced agricultural technology.

Gregor Sailer is an Australian photographer known for taking photographs of architecture and workspace environments. Sailer is known for a variety of projects, such as The Polar Silk Road, which documented geopolitics within military structures, and Cockaigne, another project that investigated technology in restricted laboratories that inhibit large-scale agricultural farms. Gregor Sailer presents photographs that are taken in restricted areas, such as government properties and laboratories that are off limits to the general public. His message is to showcase the technologies and infrastructure of systems that play a large part in our society today and the future. 

The Polar Silk Road by Gregor Sailer is a collection of photographs of military and research facilities along Norway, Greenland, Canada, and Iceland. The project was challenging since photography in low temperatures (about 55°C) causes many camera malfunctions and requires specialized equipment to withstand these conditions. Sailer used an analog camera (Sinar P2 view camera) that allowed him to stay outdoors longer since it does not require batteries. His photographs were also taken on film. Photography with film is extremely risky since film can be easily damaged, especially in the Arctic’s harsh weather. 

For this project, one of Sailer’s personal approaches was to take a singular photo for each setting, even though there was a chance of damaging the film and permanently losing it. The photos captured in the Arctic were a unique approach since few people frequently visit the polar Silk Road for photography. Gregor Sailer’s photographs captured a perspective on minimalism infrastructure, showcasing buildings and models in the Arctic. The paleness of the snow provides buildings with a pop of color as the primary subject of the image. Additionally, his photographs capture the isolation of being in a land completely surrounded by snow. Within the Polar Silk Road, many infrastructures have different details and styles, reflecting the diversity of geopolitics in the Arctic. The establishments create opportunities for knowledge through research, which could create strong connections with many of the governing bodies in the Arctic region. Gregor Sailer’s photography captures architecture along the Polar Silk Road, revealing the economic and political tension through architecture. 

 Northeast Greenland Ice Sheet, 2019. Gregor Sailer

Stokksnesi Radar Site, NATO Icelandic Air Defense System, Iceland, 2021

In another project, Cockaigne, Gregor Sailer examines the technologies and infrastructure of global food production. His photography captures large-scale machinery and laboratories in vivid colors and isolating spaces. Sailer’s photographs were showcased in the Natural History Museum in Vienna, highlighting his photography skills. Many thought-provoking images of agricultural systems and laboratories were presented, questioning global food production and the distribution of resources that we consume today. A few of the photographs included laboratories of jellyfish farms, insect farms, large-scale facilities that grow vegetation, and smaller research institutions that focus on cellular research. 

Sailer’s photographs capture these farms with vivid hues such as blue and pink, providing a high contrast fluorescence. The fluorescent light creates a colorful and vibrant visual that replaces the traditional white beam of light on architecture. The color contrast illuminates the surrounding infrastructure, providing a primary focus for the photograph. While capturing architecture, it can be difficult to find a central subject since buildings primarily focus on symmetry, leading lines, or geometric composition. Gregor Sailer used many lines as a geometric focus for his image, which is visually appealing when showcasing architecture. A few of Sailer’s images contrast white and black, creating heavy shadows that illuminate the depth and complexity of modern technology. The machines and raw materials create an appealing photograph with linear composition. Many of Sailer’s photographs capture the atmosphere of infrastructure in a geometric perspective with fluorescent light and color, creating a unique approach to architectural photography. 

Photograph of a Greenhouse in Kentucky, USA, 2023. Gregor Sailer

Gregor Sailer’s photographs provide a lens of agricultural production that is not typically viewed. Usually, the average individual does not see the perspective of food distribution other than the transportation of resources to a local store. Many of these facilities bring questions about what technology should be used in our food distribution, such as how much a product should be genetically modified, and to what extent technology should be a primary function for producing food. Researchers experimenting with developing technologies meant to sustain our growing population must consider these questions. Without evaluating the effect of technology on our agricultural systems, technology and machinery can cause detrimental damage to health and pollute the environment. Awareness of the process of agricultural production is not always available to the public eye, but photographers such as Gregor Sailer provide insight into these communities and projects that could potentially change the future of agriculture. 

Jellyfish Farm, Künzell, Germany, 2023 © Gregor Sailer

Credits: 

“Naturhistorisches Museum Wien – Pressemitteilung-Detailseite.” 

https://www.nhm.at/presse/ausstellungen/cockaigne  Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.

“Gregor Sailer.” Gregorsailer.com, 2026, https://www.gregorsailer.com/Projects. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.

all-about-photo.com. “Gregor Sailer: Cockaigne.” All-About-Photo.com, Feb. 2026, 

https://www.all-about-photo.com/photo-articles/photo-article/2059/gregor-sailer-cockaigne. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.

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“Unseen Places, Unsettling Realities: A Conversation with Gregor Sailer.” Hot Mirror, 16 Jan. 

2026, https://www.hot-mirror.com/edition-20/gregor-sailer. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.

“Inside the World’s Most Secret Food Facilities: Gregor Sailer on Access, Control, and the 

Illusion of Plenty.” https://aboutphotography.blog/blog/cockaigne-by-gregor-sailer

About Photography. Jan 27th, 2026. Accessed Apr 10th, 2026.