Johann Otten (* 1991 in Celle) works as a dramaturg and journalist. He is curious about the internet, technology & the future beyond fossils. In his work, he is interested in the materialization of narratives and ideologies and cares about telling complex stories the most fun and accessible way - mediating the chaos, if you like.

Johann holds a B.A. in history of arts and economics from Humboldt university of Berlin. He worked as a freelancer in arts production and for the radio before he left for theater. Some years in theater production lead to a current M.A. in dramaturgy at zhdk university of the arts in Zürich, finishing 2022.

He lives and works in Zürich & Berlin and likes stories and sound, so he writes podcasts and radio plays.  In addition, he collects images for more than a decade and works as a freelance photographer - most in analogue medium format. 

Johann is a climate journalist as part of the editorial staff of treibhauspodcast.ch, links art institutions with climate activism as one third of klimakontor.ch,  speaks on conferences and holds lectures on the role of art in climate crisis as part of the collective klasseklima.org, sometimes writes for pokusberlin.com and loves bicycles.

In wintersemester 2022/23, Johann lectures at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf in the class for stage design of Prof. Lena Newton.

audio

2023 - DRIFT - radio drama / documentary on russian-norwegian relations on Svalbard (research, script, dramaturgy and realisation) - WDR 

2022 - Missing Magic Money - documentary podcast series for Thilo Mischke on behalf of FOCUS Magazin (research, script, dramaturgy and realisation) - apple podcasts

2021 - wie es war wird - sound installation at Kulturforum Berlin (research / sound design) 

2021 - grüezi wo ist hier das internet? - podcast series about the internet 

2020 - leben neben der schallschutzwand, Deutschlandfunk Kultur

2017 - der cash-trick!, Deutschlandfunk Kultur