Valerie Schmidt is an artist, photographer and professor based in Germany. Her practice explores the body as a site of physical and psychological affect, working at the intersection of photography, performance and visual theory. Through staged and performative situations, she examines gesture, movement and bodily expression, questioning the legibility of body language and the relationship between conscious and unconscious action. Her work approaches photography as an experimental process of constructing images and exploring emotional thresholds, perception and empathy.
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Valerie Schmidt studied photography at the Academy of Arts in Bergen, Norway and the Folkwang University of Arts in Essen, where she graduated with distinction in 2009. She is based in Trier with her family and works as a professor for photography at the Hochschule Trier. Her second work base is Berlin, where she also shoots for various clients.
Her artwork can be described as playful research on the aesthetics of bodily phenomena in regard to the invention and the role of photography as a document of staged performance. It has been shown in exhibitions in Europe and in the United States. Some of her work is part of the Deutsche Bank Collection, Frankfurt, the Folkwang Museum, Essen, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Budapest and the Birthrites Collection, Manchester.
Her artwork was also featured in Der Greif, Still, Die Nacht, Page, Zeit-Magazin and Süddeutsche Magazin.
As a freelance photographer, she works for different companies, agencies and various magazines like the guardian, die Zeit, Stern, Rolling Stone, Focus, der Freitag, Monocle, Capital and many more.
She is a member of DGPh, Freelens and Female Photoclub.
RESIDENCIES/
AWARDS/
SHORTLISTS
2022 Stipendium Neustart Kultur, Stiftung Kunstfonds
2021 Stipendium Neustart Kultur, VG Bild-Kunst
2021 Kunstpreis Neukölln, 3rd place
2020 Stipendium Kulturprojekte Berlin
2016 Marianne Brandt Wettbewerb, nominee
2016 Darmstädter Tage der Fotografie, finalist
2014 shortlisted for portfolio review, Düsseldorf
2013 Kunstpreis Tempelhof-Schöneberg, shortlist
2013 Birthrites Collection, finalist
2012 shortlisted for Kolga Tbilisi Photo Award "Best Moment"
2011 DFA portfolio walk, Deichtorhallen Hamburg, finalist
2011 Selected Views, Katapult°, 2. Place
2011 Residency for the Künstlerhaus Lukas, financed by Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
2010 Mainzer Art Award, Finalist
2010 Fotosommer Stuttgart, Finalist
2009 Residency, Feldstärke International for Paris, Essen und Los Angeles
2009 Welde advancement award
2009 residency for Hidden Places / Via Regia /Görlitz
2007 Erasmus Scholarship for Kunsthøgskolen, Bergen, Norway
2007 F-Stop Fotofestival, Finalist
CLIENTS
ACS
AirBnB
Anders Handeln
Andere Zeiten e.V.
Aktion Mensch e.V.
Amnesty International UK
Apotheken-Umschau
Atlas-Verlag
Aquazoo Düsseldorf
BBE Branded Entertainment GmbH
The Bookseller
Bunte
Capital
Carta
C3
Cicero Magazin
Chainwise Group
Chrismon
Clinton Grosshandels AG
Deutsche Energie Systeme
Deutsches Studentenwerk
Diskurs Magazin
Eltern Magazin
Emotion Magazin
Enorm
eShot AG
Femtastics
FJORD
Katja Flint
Focus
Folkwang Museum Essen
Der Freitag
Friedrich Verlag
Galore
Gesobau
Goethe-Institut
The Guardian
Harvard Business Manager
Himbeer Magazin
Hochschule Rhein-Waal
Human Ear Music
Intercontinental Hotel Berlin
Intro Magazin
Isarhelden GmbH
Kulturstiftung des Bundes
Kunstwerke Berlin e.V.
LIT-Verlag
Loon Design
Manager Magazin
Menschen- das Magazin
Mint Magazin
Missy Magazin
Mittelbrandenburgische Sparkasse
Monocle
Mühlhaus Moers Corporate GmbH
Museum der Moderne Salzburg
MyLife - Magazin
Neon
Nicomede
Nido
Papenbroock GbR
Parkindigo
Philosophie Magazin
Preussische Kulturstiftung
Random House
Räthel und Wolf
Revue-Magazine for the Next Society
Robert Vogdt
Rolling Stone Magazine
Run-United-Music
Sans Souci Magazin
Scholz and Friends
Screenhouse GmbH
Securvita
SEAD Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance
Siemens
Spiegel
Spokehub ltd.
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Staatsballet Berlin
Stern
Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft
Studio ZX GmbH
Süddeutsche Magazin
Tagesspiegel
Taz
Tempus Corporate GmbH
The Times
Virginia Quarterly Review
Ubuntu Magazin
UDK Berlin
Unique Selected GmbH
Visions
Vodafone
Walker Books
Welt
Weberbank
Wired
Wirtschaftsförderung Gelsenkirchen
Wirtschaftswoche
Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin
Xayn AG
Zeit
Zeit-Online EXHIBITIONS
2026
Tomorrow will be yesterday, screening, DGPh, Fotografiska, Berlin
Fotosommer Stuttart, Staatsgalerie Stuttgart
Rheinland Pflaz Triennale, Trier
2025
EMOP, Reconstructing Photography, Kunsthalle Trier
I am rooted but I flow, group exhibition, TUFA Trier
2024 Antithese, Pernerinseln, Hallein, Austria
2023 Arch of Hysteria. Zwischen Wahnsinn und Ekstase, Museum der Moderne, Salzburg, Austria
Auditorium San Pancrazio, Tarquinia, Italy, solo
2022
Sammlung Simonow, Delphi Space, Freiburg
2021
Świat wyszedł z orbit / The world is out of joint Act 2, Forma Otwarta Oleśnica, Poland
X4H8+FM, Kulturpark Stolpe
Kunstpreis Neukölln, Galerie im Saalbau, Berlin
2020
Coronicles, Walzwerk 0, Düsseldorf, solo exhibition
2018
Claus stolpert, das Gift, Berlin, solo exhibition
Another World, Deutsche Bundesbank, London
Another World charity saleDeutsche Bank Wealth Management Lounges, Frankfurt/Main
group exhibition, curated by Tracey Emin, Frieze Art Fair, London
deleting Babinski, das Gift, Berlin, solo exhibition
2017
short loud ohm, das Gift, Berlin (curated)
2016
All in One, Penso Giovane Organisation, Chiari (BS), Italy
"8 + 1", Galerie Victor Dahmen, Cologne
Marianne Brandt Wettbewerb, sächsisches Industriemuseum, Chemnitz
"Der Greif, a process 2.0", Krakow Photomonth 2016, Krakow, Poland
"Keep your eyes peeled", AFF Galerie, Berlin
Darmstädter Tage der Fotografie, Centralstation, Darmstadt
2015
„Konst i Datorn! >->o“, Österängens konsthall, Jönköping, Sweden
Group Show V, Alexander Levy, Berlin
At Antipodes, Auferstehungskirche Köln, solo exhibition
Pin Up, Pavlow´s dog, Berlin
2014
artsho 5, Space Debris, Istanbul
Mitteilungen, Monat der Fotografie, Strahler, Berlin
P/ART, Phönixhallen, Hamburg
chronoform#2, Tier, Olga, Wuppertal
20 Jahre Weldekunstpreis, Stadtgalerie Mannheim
"langes stilles volt", with Charlotte Warsen and Valentin Emil Lubberger, Sammlung Philara, Düsseldorf
2013
"langes stilles volt", with Charlotte Warsen and Valentin Emil Lubberger, Epicentro Art, Berlin
Birthrites Collection, Salford University, Manchester
Capsula Vulgaris, Marquee, Berlin
Sub/Kutan, Kunstpreis Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Haus am Kleistpark, Berlin
ARTSHO, Brody House, Budapest, Hungary
Attitudes Passionelles, Galerie Lindner, Münster, solo exhibition
Stadt in Sicht - Werke aus der Sammlung Deutsche Bank, Museum Ostwall im Dortmunder U, Dortmund
Progamer, Kaiku Galleria, Helsinki
Birthrites Collection, MediaCityUK, ‘The Egg’ Suite and Gallery, Manchester
2012
"Small but beautiful", Koeln Art, Cologne
"Was hindert uns noch?", Strahler, Berlin
Dreizig Festival, Agora, Berlin
"Gute Fotos – guter Zweck", Freelens Galerie, Hamburg
"EINMagazine", Liebig 12, Berlin
Kolga Tbilisi Photo Festival, Tblisi, Georgia
Museum Abtei Liesborn, Liesborn
2011
„Hidden Places, Galerie Brüder Strasse, Görlitz
„Beispielhaft 3“ Koeln-Art, Cologne
„Was ihr wollt“ Strahler, Berlin
„Nice to see you“, Galerie Köln-Art, Cologne
„Affektgebilde“, Galerie Lindner, Münster, solo exhibition
„Meeting Point“, Forum für Kunst und Architektur, Essen
Mainzer Kunstpreis, Kunstverein Eisenturm Mainz, Mainz
2010
Fotosommer Stuttgart 2010, Würtembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart
Art Festival, Tuczno, Poland
„Meeting Point“, Kommunale Galerie Berlin, Berlin
„teaching photography“, Museum Folkwang, Essen
„Hidden Places“ Kultur 2010, Zeche Carl, Essen,
„Aufruhr“, KNSY-Studio, Essen
2009
„Hidden Places“, Off-Space Marienplatz, Görlitz
„New Pictures“, with Malou van Breevoort, Köln-Art, Kreon-Vektron, Cologne
Feldstärke International III, CalArts, Los Angeles, USA
Sichtwerk 09, Sanaa Building, Zollverein, Essen
Diploma Show, neue Aula, Folkwang Hochschule, Essen
Feldstärke International II, Pact-Zollverein, Essen
Welde Kunstpreis, Sparkasse Schwetzingen, Heidelberg
„The Grain of The Voice“, LCC, London
I, Object, Gloria Halle, Düsseldorf
Editionen, Galerie Schütte, Essen
Feldstärke International I, Le CentQuatre, Paris
2008
Carte Blanche, Gallery GAM, Essen
5475/54, Bilker Arcaden, solo-show, Düsseldorf
„How I See Germany“, OMC-Gallery, California, USA
YPU at Arjowiggins, Greenspot, Amsterdam
Damen und Herren e.V., „to be continued“, solo-show, Düsseldorf
„Schreiben mit Licht“, Galerie Schütte, Essen
„white noise“, Ballhaus im Nordpark, Düsseldorf
„sofern“, Frappant, Hamburg
Photofestival „Horizonte“, Zingst
„re:presentation“, University Hildesheim
2007
Photofestival, Pecs, Hungary
F-Stop, 1.Fotografiefestival Leipzig, Leipzig
C/O Pop, „select art“, Rheintriadem, Cologne
Kunstwerden e.V., „Ansichtssachen“, Essen
Kindl-Halle, „Wallenstein, Berlin
2006
Oldenburger Kunstverein, „Sehwege“, Oldenburg
Festspielhaus, Jugendfotopreis München, Munich
Sichtwerk, University Essen, Essen
Entry, Pavillion 5, Zeche Zollverein, Essen
„select art“, Hohenzollernbrücke, Cologne
2005 - 2002
Galerie im Gang, „Zeitweise“, Essen
Sichtwerk, University Essen, Essen (2002-2005)
Galerie Beate Kollmeier, „Gelee Royale“, Essen
Rue de la Refuge, Arles, France
Images against War, Galerie Lichtblick, Cologne
UP
AA