Sophie Mercedes Köchert (born 1988) is an Austrian photographer whose impressive advertising images have significantly shaped the visual identity of Bad Ischl Salzkammergut 2024, the European Capital of Culture. Specializing in analog photography, the artist graduated from the Neue Schule für Fotografie (New School for Photography) in Berlin in 2017 and has since explored diverse areas of photography – from artistic projects to commercial commissions

Observer of the everyday

Köchert proves herself to be a precise observer of everyday life. Her photographs make the seemingly insignificant visible and, through dialogue, condense it into atmospheric narratives. In this way, individual moments become a story – about life in the Salzkammergut region, about landscape, identity, and change. With great aesthetic sensitivity, a keen eye for detail, and a fine sense for the spaces in between, she succeeds in creating a multifaceted portrait of the region – beyond tourist clichés and idealized depictions

The exhibition

At the Francisco Carolinum Linz, the focus is not on commissioned work, but rather on Köchert's independent artistic visual language. On display are previously unpublished works created during the European Capital of Culture year, which she interweaves with a new photographic exploration – one year after the major media event. The exhibition invites visitors to discover the depth of Köchert's work: as a dialogue between documentary precision and poetic condensation.