Hendrik Otremba – Das Gebiet (Vor-Mythos)

Emde Gallery is delighted to present Hendrik Otremba's second solo exhibition – four years after his first presentation.

Under the title "Das Gebiet (Vor-Mythos)" (translated: The Territory (Pre-Myth)), the exhibition brings together large-format ink paintings that Hendrik Otremba has created in the recent past. They form part of a complex and atmospherically dense body of work, and are linked thematically to Otremba’s fictional worlds and characters, his music (with Messer and as a solo artist), analogue photographs, and poems. "Das Gebiet (Vor-Mythos)" tells of a dark, barren and deserted hinterland where an end could take place.

Hendrik Otremba was born in the Ruhr region in 1984 and now lives in Berlin. He is a writer, visual artist and singer with the band Messer, and also works as a lecturer in creative writing in Germany and Switzerland. His paintings have been published and exhibited on album covers and in various magazines. His debut novel, Über uns der Schaum (Above Us the Foam), was published in March 2017, followed by his second novel, Kachelbads Erbe (Kachelbad's Legacy), published by Hoffmann und Campe in August 2019. His third novel, Benito, was published by März Verlag in 2022. In March 2023, Otremba published his solo debut Riskantes Manöver (Risky Maneuver) with Trocadero and, at the same time, the poetry collection Wüstungen, Nebel (Deserted Villages, Fog) with März Verlag. His fourth novel, Der Gräber (The Gravedigger), will be published in spring 2026. In the winter semester of 2023/24, Otremba held the poetry lectureship at the University of Münster, which was published in 2025 under the title Das dronische Erzählen (Dronic Narrative) with several additional chapters and 80 illustrations. In the same year, Otremba's first non-fiction book was published, a collection of essays on the work and aesthetics of the Cologne band Can. He has released five albums with Messer to date, most recently "Kratermusik" in 2024.

LIMITED EDITIONS:
Accompanying the exhibition we are pleased to present two hand-signed and limited editions: "Was täte ich in einer anderen Zeit" (translated: What would I do in a differnet time) and "Die Plattform" – 40 copies each as high-quality Fine Art pigment prints on Hahnemühle William Turner handmade paper (190 g/m²) in DIN A2 format.
If you are interested or have any questions, please contact the gallery.

OPENING: Saturday, November 22, 2025, 12 – 4 pm 
Gallery Crawl PART Mainz: Thursday, November 27, 2025, 6 – 10 pm
ARTIST TALK & READING: Saturday, December 6, 2025, 6 pm