Of Cages and Feathers

Michael Reid Berlin is delighted to announce Of Cages and Feathers – our forthcoming solo exhibition by German, Baltic Sea–based contemporary photographer Kristin Schnell, who is currently exhibiting her work not far from our Eora/Sydney gallery as a finalist in this year’s prestigious Head On Photo Awards.

Works from Schnell’s first Michael Reid solo presentation – are now available to preview and acquire by request ahead of her show’s official opening in January 2026.
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“My bird models are originally from Australia. Colonial trade carried their ancestors to Europe, and generations have lived behind bars, far from their natural habitats,” says Schnell, whose Head On–shortlisted work is showing at Paddington Reservoir Gardens until this Sunday, 30 November. “With the Head On Festival exhibition, they return home – at least visually – and that makes me very happy.

Staged with colourful, geometric sets and lighting that cleverly quotes the poppy, slick visual language of commercial photography – devoid of any natural context but for a hint of trees and sky – Schnell’s pictures pull focus to her feathered subjects’ beauty and quizzical interactions. Yet by pointing to the inherent strangeness of pet culture and the confinement of wildlife for human amusement, the artist also allows a subtle melancholy to creep into her otherwise bright, sunny scenes.

To sign up for first access to editions of works selected to feature in Of Cages and Feathers by Kristin Schnell, please contact our Berlin gallery manager, Coline Soria, colinesoria@michaelreid.com.au