First steps

Born in southern Germany in 1979



Education

ESMOD  International Fashion School Berlin  
ESMOD International Fashion School Lyon (2001 – 2003)
Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerpen (2003-2007)
Master (MA) of Fine Arts ‘with highest distinction‘ (2007)



Awards/Scholarships

Travel Grant of the Flemish Ministry of Education (2005)
Scholarship for artistic development by the Johannes Dörflinger Foundation, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
(2006)
Photography Prize of the Royal Academy (2007)
Winning project of the annual ‚EMERGING TALENTS FROM BELGIAN SCHOOLS’ award (2007)



Selected exhibitions/projects/publications

2005

Photography-project with street children in an orphanage in San Francisco de Yojoa, Honduras, for 5 months


2006

IS THERE A MONSTER LIVING UNDER MY BED
Solo-exhibition, showing the work from Honduras
KASK, Antwerpen

IS THERE A MONSTER LIVING UNDER MY BED
Artist-book, self publication

Diploma-project at the Royal Academy:  voyage through Eastern Europe – from Poznan, Poland to Asbest, Siberia. Formation of the series and artist-book WOHINUNDZURÜCK


2007

Photographic long-term documentary of the ‚Kunstgrenze’ – the world’s first ‘Art Border’ between Germany and Switzerland at the Lake of Constance.
Commissioned by the Johannes Dörflinger Foundation, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland

SOLIDARITY – Photography and Film from Kenya and Honduras:  Brandon Bannon, Francesca Lotti and Florian Schwarz
Galerie Bagnato, Konstanz

WOHINUNDZURÜCK – Open-air projection of the series during the ‘nuit blanche’, Place de la Madeleine, Brussels

WOHINUNDZURÜCK – Portfolio in SOYONS-Magazine (online edition)

Start of research for a project about musicians in Nashville, USA


2008

Photo Espana 2008:
Invitation to the ‘DESCUBRIMIENTOS’: Portfolio-Review and group exhibition, Madrid

‘Scheidewege – Jahresschrift für skeptisches Denken’
Hirzel Publishers, Reutlingen.  Publication of selected images from BLOOD ON THE TRACKS.

Johannes Dörflinger – Die Kunstgrenze.
Photography: Florian Schwarz.  Niggli Publishers, Zurich.

‘WURZELN / ROOTS’ – Springer/Parker, Dinu Li, Karen Oostenbrink, Florian Schwarz.
Petra Rietz Salon, Berlin / Kerber Publishers, Bielefeld

WOHINUNDZURÜCK – solo exhibition, Salon für zeitgenössische Fotokunst, Berlin-Mitte