Ralf Schmerberg, a multifaceted individual, has been hailed as a filmmaker, commercial director, fashion photographer, artist, and activist, among many other titles. Born in 1965, he has spent his career pushing the boundaries of visual art, driven by his unconventional perspective and deep understanding of the world.
At the age of 17, Schmerberg abandoned his formal education, seeking to escape the constraints and rigid social norms of suburban Germany. He became increasingly disillusioned with the status quo and began searching for an alternative, altruistic lifestyle. This led him to join the Sannyasins, a spiritual group, and eventually meet Jiddu Krishnamurti, a renowned philosopher, during his Last Talks in Saanen, Switzerland. Schmerberg spent time with the 17th Karmapa and his followers, studying the philosophies of Tibetan Buddhism.
After his spiritual journey, Schmerberg returned to Germany and picked up photography, using the camera as a constant companion to document his life and surroundings. His photographs reveal unexpected portraits of the zeitgeist, poignant excerpts of everyday life, and a deep understanding of the human condition. With a highly personal and candid gaze, Schmerberg captures the world around him, recognizing the sublime in the ordinary and presenting the viewer with an unedited, honest reality that engages, delights, and at times discomforts.
In addition to his photographic work, Schmerberg has a diverse cinematic oeuvre, spanning feature films, documentaries, short films, music videos, and commercials. He is unafraid to experiment with new media, from large-scale installations to modern-day happenings.
Schmerberg's work is often driven by a keen interest in social action and exchange, with the aim of generating contemporary interventions in the social sphere. His online platform, dropping knowledge, and projects like "The Table of Free Voices" and films such as "Problema" and "Poem" open up opportunities for large-scale discourse and sustained reflection.
In 2007, Schmerberg founded the art collective Mindpirates, which quickly became an essential element of Berlin's cultural life through its collaborative and experimental activities in the public space.
Since 2014, Schmerberg has been working on a long-term project, capturing the vanishing beauty of the Indian subcontinent through his lens. He currently resides and works in Berlin.
