(SMS) Studio Michael Schmitz
A Nation Apart is a project proposal for the Dutch Design Week (DDW) 2025 that explores the tensions between national narratives, borders, and lived realities. The work combines visual communication, editorial artifacts, and spatial graphics to provoke public dialogue and participation.
Client/Context: DDW 2025 / self-initiated research in collaboration with Viktor Hübner
During the Trump presidency, political polarization and social division became defining features of public life. The project seeks not only to document these realities but to create a space for reflection and constructive dialogue, moving beyond simplified narratives and media stereotypes.
Photojournalist Viktor Hübner travelled across the United States to meet people with diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and lived experiences. The exhibition builds on three interwoven layers:
Large-format portraits and documentary scenes that condense personal stories.
First-person accounts offering unfiltered insights into fears, hopes, and convictions.
Installations that invite visitors to actively engage with fear, openness, division, and unity.
By confronting visitors with multiple perspectives, the exhibition offers a nuanced view of the United States and encourages deeper understanding. Audience feedback highlights its emotional depth and its ability to create both proximity and distance—acting as a catalyst for dialogue in polarized times.
Photobook documenting encounters across the U.S. during the Trump era, combining photography and oral history. → See project
Publication and workshops exploring concepts of Heimat and regional identity in Southwestern Germany. → See project
Visual identity and event series highlighting intersections of political discourse and popular culture. → See project