"What you see are my stories and my development - as an artist and as a person. I started photographing details and signs about 20 years ago as a spontaneous, compulsive action rooted within - for me, taking a snap is like breathing: it's about instinct and the inevitability. There is a certain reflective solace in focusing on small details, on signs everybody sees, but no one recognizes. 'Exit' is one of these omnipresent signs we automatically overlook. For me EXIT means to live in the here and now, a reminder that it is always your conscious decision either to stay in the moment or leave. In a world that is increasingly alienating the individual with its speed, looking and actually seeing details is a form of grounding oneself.
The photographs happen in the moment, I always shoot with my iPhone: I see a sign, I recognize it, I relate to it and I capture it in a matter of seconds. All my EXIT signs are connected to a story, an experience I had in that moment and a lesson I learned. Exit is a way of opting out of unavoidable situations, physically present - mentally not. My pieces for Exit are the story of how I grew as a person and I want to give everyone the opportunity to reflect on their own EXIT moments, experiences, and lessons. In doing so I want to open up the possibility of relating more to each other as people, which in the end is the ultimate scope of art."
Born on September 24, 1978, in Bonn, Germany, Florian Reinhardt spent his formative years moving between eight different German towns before the age of 16. By 19, he had completed his schooling and embarked on a career in the television industry, starting as an intern at various TV companies.
During his twenties, he quickly rose through the ranks, establishing himself as a successful director and shareholder of an independent film production company. With over two decades of experience in filmmaking, he has worked across a diverse range of formats, including movies, scripted and non-scripted TV shows, series, and commercial films. As one of the most accomplished TV producers in the reality television genre, he mastered the craft of creating captivating content-despite his personal lack of affinity for the format.
The constraints of his childhood instilled in him a deep appreciation for imagery. While words hold beauty, he found an even greater resonance in pictures, and an undeniable power in motion pictures. To this day, he remains dedicated to filmmaking and production.
A decade ago, Reinhardt discovered a new artistic passion-photography, with a singular focus on a recurring motif: EXIT signs. This obsession began in 2008 in South Beach, Miami, when he noticed an EXIT sign illuminated by two lights, one of which was broken. To him, it symbolized endurance-being physically present yet mentally not. Captivated by its significance, he took a photo, unknowingly igniting an artistic journey that would lead him to document over 1,000 EXIT signs worldwide.
EXIT signs, in their varied states-pristine, worn, illuminated, or fading-became an extension of his life's narrative. They exist everywhere, silent witnesses to the unfolding of countless human stories. To Reinhardt, they are more than just signs; they are reflections of movement, escape, and transition. Each EXIT sign he captures brings him back to pivotal moments in his own life, spread across different places and times.
For him, EXIT is more than an instruction-it's a philosophy. A chance to break free from the relentless need to function, from the conditioning that shapes personality, from the entrapments of routine. And with every new destination, another EXIT awaits-leading, perhaps, to the next revelation.
There is always an option. Find your EXIT