Mr. Franz at the Coffeehouse

“Mr. Franz, — a Melange”?
These are the words the waiter usually uses to greet Mr. Franz when he enters his favorite café in downtown Vienna.

Franz regularly visits coffeehouses at various times of the day to enjoy a Melange and a slice of Sachertorte. While there, he indulges in his favorite pastime: people-watching and taking photos.

The resulting photos bring the everyday life of the coffeehouse to life. People engrossed in their newspapers, waiters juggling trays of coffee and cake through the rows of armchairs, people just entering or leaving the coffeehouse, and those who are simply waiting.

With their sense of everyday normality, the images make time stand still for that one moment and invite you to linger and take them in.

So... “Wanna grab a melange?”

Franz Schmied, born in Vienna in 1939, lives in Ottensheim in Upper Austria. He got his first camera at age 14, and has been taking photographs for 72 years now. Initially, he took analog photos; later, he switched to digital; and for some time now, he has been taking photos almost exclusively with his cell phone.

A cell phone photographer, always on the lookout for the next shot. For him, photography is about giving free rein to his imagination, using all kinds of experimental techniques, including double and multiple exposures.

Opening:
Thu, Sept. 10, 2026, 7:00 p.m.
Franz Schmied will be in attendance.

Exhibition hours:
Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, 3–6 p.m.
Sat, Sept. 12, 26, 1:00–6:00 p.m. — Franz Schmied will be present.

Exhibition:
Thu, Sept. 10, 26 – Wed, Oct. 7, 26