Chiara Wettmann

Stateless Libanon (2021 - 2026)

Stateless people are not protected by any state or law. They are denied basic human rights. In a globalized world defined by state affiliation, they exist out of statistics and legal recognition, excluded from the rights and services most take for granted. Stateless people are often denied access to state education and healthcare systems. They cannot vote, own property, or even register their children at birth, perpetuating generational marginalization.

This is the reality for about 200.000 - 300.000 stateless people in Lebanon: unregistered Lebanese who pass on their statelessness to their children, Palestinians whose families have lived in Lebanon for generations and yet are not granted citizenship. Or refugees from Syria who, due to the war in their homeland, had no chance to register.

Basic activities, like signing contracts, legal employment or travel (within a country), become nearly impossible without official documents, leaving stateless individuals vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. The causes of statelessness are varied and complex, including migration and displacement, deprivation of citizenship, discrimination based on political, religious or gender biases or even incomplete population statistics, but the consequences are universally devastating.

The UNHCR estimates that at least 4.2 million people worldwide are stateless, though other sources suggest the true figure may be closer to 10 million.

Chiara Wettmann (*1993) is a documentary photographer based in Beirut. In 2022 she graduated from the Ostkreuzschule für Fotografie in Berlin.
Her work investigates the intersections of human rights, power structures, and historical legacies, with a particular sensitivity to how these forces impact individual lives. Moving between photography and research, Wettmann follows political and social issues over extended periods of time.
Her photographs have been exhibited internationally, from Amsterdam, Berlin and Barcelona to Ouagadougou, the Africa Photo Fair in Abidjan, and Paris Photo 2023. Her work has received wide recognition, including the World Report Award (2022), the Walo Kamm Award for Human Rights (2023), and she was part of the Joop Swart Masterclass 2025 of the World Press Photo Foundation.

Chiara Wettmann
*08. March 1993
based Lebanon, Syria & Germany

Contact
info@chiarawettmann.com
www.chiarawettmann.com
@chiara.apellido
+49 1577 63 64 566 (WhatsApp/ Signal)
+961 81 156 168

Career
2025 Joop Swart Masterclass, World Press Photo Foundation
2023 - 2025 Member of Focus Agency
2019 - 2022 Ostkreuzschule für Fotografie Berlin
2018 - 2019 Neue Schule für Fotografie Berlin
2016 - 2018 FH München - BA Soziale Arbeit

Awards
2025 Sonntag Grand, shortlisted
2025 National Geographic Society Grant - Excellence in Visual Journalism - nominated 2025 Joop Swart Masterclass, World Press Photo Foundation
2025 NY Portfolio Review
2025 Leica Oskar Barnack Award, nominated
2024 Walo Kamm Award for Human Rights, Winner
2024 Wüstenrot Foundation Grant, nominated
2024 Lensculture Critics´Choice Award, Winner
2024 Leica Oskar Barnack Award, nominated
2024 True Picture Grant, Winner
2024 Otto- Steinert- Award, DGPh Preis, shortlisted
2024 Belfast Photo Festival, shortlisted
2023 BarTur Photo Award, shortlisted
2023 Felix Schoeller Photo Award, shortlisted
2023 VG Bild Grant, Winner
2022 World Report Award, shortlisted
2022 Athen Photo Festival, shortlisted
2022 BFF Grant, Winner
2019 Canon Student Programm
Exhibitions (selected)
2026 “Al Nisa”, Middle East Archive x FOAM, FOAM x Marqam, Amsterdam, NL 2026 “State of Belonging”, AFF- Galerie, Berlin,GER
2026 Stateless, TruePicture, Museum Schaffen, Zurich, CH
2025 “Gesichter und Räume”, Freelens Galerie, Hamburg, GER
2025 Curatorial Collection”, Kunsthaus Hamburg, GER
2025 “SeelSorge”, Fotografiska Berlin, GER (Solo Exhibition)
2025 “LensCulture” Photo London, Somerset House, London, GBR 2025 “Between War and Hope”, St. Nikolai, Hamburg, GER
2024 “Re:Borders”, Bethanien Kunstquartier, Berlin, GER
2023 Africa Photo Fair, Abidjan, CIV
2023 Paris Photo, Paris, FRA
2023 “HPR” Exhibition, Freelens Gallery, Hamburg, GER
2023 „A burned Diaframe“ sdworx Breedlijn, Antwerp, BEL (Solo Exhibition) 2023 „Photosa Festival“ Biennale photographique Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou, BFA 2023 „Hier+Jetzt“, Regional Council Karlsruhe, GER
2022 “BFF World Wild”, Haus der Wirtschaft, Stuttgart, GER
2022 “SECHZEHN”, Urban Spree Gallery, Berlin, GER
2022 “Der Neue BFF Förderpreis” – Umweltfotofestival „Horizonte Zingst“, Zingst, GER 2022 “A9A6A5”, GVBK DelphiSpace, Freiburg, GER
2021 "Invisible Lives”, ArtNumber23 Gallery, Athen, GRC
2021 “Invisible Lives”, ArtNumber23 Gallery, Barcelona, ESP
2021 “HIGH NOON”, Gallery van Zijll Langhout, Amsterdam, NL
2021 “HIGH NOON”, die Wellenmaschine, Berlin, GER
2021 “Berlin, Gott und die Welt”, Guardini Gallery, Berlin, GER

Projects
2026 - ongoing “untitled Prison”, Women Prison in Berlin
2025 - ongoing “stateless - Syria” Project about the global issue of statelessness 2025 - ongoing “stateless - Kuwait”, Project about the global issue of statelessness 2024 - ongoing “stateless - Europe”, Project about the global issue of statelessness 2023 “stateless - Ivory Coast”, Project about the global issue of statelessness
2021 - ongoing “stateless - Lebanon”, Project about the global issue of statelessness 2020 “SeelSorge” - Project about a group of inmates who found their faith in prison 2018 “Forced to forgive” - Project on Rwandan women rebuilding the country post-genocide

Publications
Der SPIEGEL, Die ZEIT, ZEIT Online, Neue Züricher Zeitung (NZZ), Sunday Times, National Geographic, Courrier International, GEO, Le Figaro, WOZ, Volkskrant, BrandEins, Dummy, Al Jazeera, Robb Report

+49 1577 63 64 566
+961 81 156 168
info@chiarawettmann.com
@chiara.apellido

Chiara Wettmann (*1993) lives and works as a documentary photographer between Berlin and Beirut. In 2022 she graduated from the renowned Ostkreuzschule für Fotografie in Berlin.

Her work explores complex geopolitical and social issues, focusing on the impact on individuals. Her work delves into themes such as human rights, power dynamics, and historical legacies.

Chiara Wettmann´s work has been exhibited internationally, with showcases in cities like Amsterdam, Berlin and Ouagadougou, at events such as the Africa Photo Fair in Abidjan 2023 and the Paris Photo Fair 2023.

Her work received several nominations and shortlisting for awards like the World Report Award 2022, Walo Kamm Award 2024 and the Leica Oskar Baranack Award 2024. Since 2023 Chiara has been a member of the German Photo agency Agentur Focus.

CV
Career
2023 - today Member Agentur Focus
2019 - 2022 Ostkreuzschule für Fotografie Berlin
2018 - 2019 Neue Schule für Fotografie Berlin
2016 - 2018 FH München - BA Bachelor Social Work

Award
2024 Walo Kamm Award for Human Rights, winner
2024 Wüstenrot Foundation Grant, nominated
2024 Leica Oskar Barnack Award, nominated
2024 True Picture Grant, winner
2024 Otto Steinert Award, DGPh Award, shortlisted
2024 Belfast Photo Festival, shortlisted
2023 BarTur Photo Award, shortlisted
2023 Hamburg Portfolio Review
2023 Felix Schöller Photo Award, shortlisted
2022 Founding VG Bild Kunst, winner
2022 World Report Award, shortlisted
2022 Athen Photo Festival, nominated
2022 BFF Förderpreis, Finalist
2019 Canon Student Programm

Exhibitions
2024 „Re:Borders“, Bethanien Kunstquartier, Berlin, GER
2023 Africa Photo Fair, CIV
2023 Paris Photo Fair off, FRA
2023 „HPR Exhibition“, Freelens Gallery, Hamburg, GER
2022 „A burned Diaframe“ sdworx Breedlijn, Antwerp, BEL
2023 „Photosa Festival“ Biennale Photographique Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou, BFA
2023 „Hier+Jetzt“ Regierungspräsidium Kalsruhe, GER
2022 “BFF World Wild”, Haus der Wirtschaft, Stuttgart, GER
2022 “SECHZEHN- Graduation Exhibition”, Urban Spree Galerie, Berlin, GER
2022 “Der Neue BFF Förderpreis” - „Horizonte Zingst“, Zingst, GER
2022 “A9A6A5” - GVBK DelphiSpace - Freiburg, GER
2021 “Invisible Lives” - ArtNumber23 Gallery, Athen, GRC
2021 “Invisible Lives”, ArtNumber23 Gallery, Barcelona, ESP
2021 “HIGH NOON”, Gallery van Zijll Langhout, Amsterdam, NL
2021 “HIGH NOON”, die Wellenmaschine, Berlin, GER
2021 “Berlin, Gott und die Welt”, Guardini Gallery, Berlin, GER

Projects
2024 “Stateless - Europe”, Project about the global issue of statelessness (ongoing)
2023 “Stateless - Ivory Coast”, Project about the global issue of statelessness
2021- 2022 “Stateless - Lebanon”, Project about the global issue of statelessness
2020 “SeelSorge” - Project about a group of inmates who found their faith in prison
2018 “Forced to forgive” - Project on Rwandan women rebuilding the country post-genozid

Clients: Der Spiegel, Zeit, Zeit- Online, National Geographic, GEO, Courrier International, Volkskrant, BrandEins, NZZ, Robb Report, Statefree World