In his series entitled “Das Haus des Erfinders,” Herbert Nauderer references events from German history, topical issues, traumas, conspiracy theories, as well as records of a private, fictionalized, and enigmatic biography of the “inventor.”

This catalog conjures an imaginary parallel universe made up of drawings, photomontages, and documents. Together, they tell the “inventor’s” story in visual images. Yet the closer we home in on the “inventor”, the more this concept eludes a clear definition, turning the spotlight on the viewer instead.

This experience raises existential questions: How can we find our way forward in this day and age? Does science help us in this endeavor, or is it a menace? How can people satisfy their longing for meaning and values? Is the “inventor” a creator in the religious sense of the word? Is he an artist? A reflection of ourselves? Or does the concept stand for a dark, mysterious power that threatens us? As we are drawn into this world, the big questions of human existence loom large.