Achim Riethmann's work explores the complex field of tension between presence and absence. His depictions of uniforms, contextual clothing and protective masks question the absence of the wearer and emphasize their social functions. The person themselves become a void, hovering between presence and absence like a ghost.

During the pandemic, works were created that show personal objects and flowers and reflect the limitations of the environment. These images of jackets, headphones and his wife's flowers are characterized by the absence of the bodies that normally surround them. Riethmann deliberately refrains from depicting the surroundings, initially leaving them as a white surface, which is later covered by dark, reflective glass surfaces. This creates new spaces that incorporate the potential of the unpainted and the reflection of the viewer.

His fourth solo exhibition at the Evelyn Drewes | Galerie reflects Riethmann's exploration of personally, politically and socially relevant themes. On display are pictures of objects and situational scenes that symbolize both protection and threat. A single jacket, worn like a uniform, and a masked figure reminiscent of a guard blur the boundaries of those counterparts.

Riethmann's art opens up a space for reflection on existence in the absent, on the interstices in which social and individual existence manifests itself