In his exhibition “Powerful”, a multilayered exploration of femininity unfolds—situated between classical elegance, public presence, and an analog, film-influenced visual language. The opening is formed by a group of works dedicated to a classic, fashion-oriented aesthetic. Timelessness, confidence, and poise define these pieces.

The project “Frauen100” presents portraits of one hundred figures from politics, film, sports, media, industry, and fashion. The initiative is the leading platform for structural gender equality in Germany.

With the series “Hôtel Noir,” the exhibition expands into a third dimension. Over a period of more than sixteen years, a body of work was created that was consistently realized in analog black-and-white medium-format film.

The exhibition “Powerful” condenses these different perspectives into a clearly curated overall composition. The focus is directed toward femininity as an aesthetic ideal, as an expression of strength, and as an intimate, self-determined reality.

Schmidt, born in 1984 in Suhl, studied photo design at the LAZI Academy in Esslingen and is now among the internationally acclaimed photographers in the fields of fashion portraiture and automotive photography. His work has received numerous awards, including the AOP Photography Awards in London and the German Photo Book Prize in Gold for “Hôtel Noir.”