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BIOGRAPHY
Floor Grootenhuis is a Dutch-Kenyan contemporary artist based in NY. Her performative practice is focused on invitation, connection, and identity. She is currently an artist-in-residence at the Raper Lab in the Hunter College Department of Biological Sciences. She has an MFA in Social Practice from Queens College, CUNY and was a More Art Engaging Artist 2017 fellow and part of the NYFA Immigrant Artist Mentorship Program 2018/19. Floor has received grants from the City Artist Corps of New York and Social Practice Queens, the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation, the Vilcek Foundation, and Queens Art Intervention. She has a master’s degree in Human Geography from the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The Brooklyn Public Library, the Queens Museum, the Godwin-Ternbach Museum, and Five Myles Gallery in New York have exhibited her work, as has the Centre de Cultura Contemporània in Barcelona.
Since 1998 Floor has worked for a number of humanitarian nongovernmental organizations as a specialist in food security, livelihoods, and cash-based programming in various countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. In 2008 she left full-time work for Oxfam to develop her artistic practice. Floor is fluent in Dutch and English and speaks moderate French and Spanish and basic Kiswahili.
SOLO & TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
inPulse - Central Brooklyn Public Library, New York, 2021
our collective fabric // the microbiome - public program as part of the Civic Art Lab: Inhabiting the Loop at Chinatown Soup, New York, 2019
The Cellfie Studio Lab - part of public program during Multiversant at Chashama Gallery, New York, 2019
What is the color of your blood? - Klapper Gallery, Queens College, New York, 2017
Living Museum - Queens Art Intervention at Jackson Heights Post Office, Queens, New York, 2015
Present (in) visible - Thesis Show, Sonia Gechtoff Gallery, National Academy School, New York, USA
(Catalog), 2014
Spaces - Jakarta International Community Centre, Jakarta, Indonesia (Catalog), 2008
flyFISHmountain - Rumah Kemang Utara 3, Jakarta, Indonesia (Catalog), 2007
SELECTED PERFORMANCES
Life of Trees - support performance for Yuko Uchida with Mariana Olinger, Gansevoort Street, Manhattan, New York, 2021
Feathers - public virtual performance with the Jayne Raper Lab during The Weekly Weekly Presents: Homeward Bound, virtual exhibition, 2020
Blood Piece - performed with Julian Louis at New York Live Arts as part of IN|BETWEEN, New York, 2019
Blood Piece - performed with Julian Louis during Multiversant, Chashama Gallery, New York, 2019
Hide and Seek, Secret Garden Art Fair Presented by Arti NYC, Studio7 Gallery, Fort Tilden, New York, 2017
Parade 6 - Growth - performance with Yuko Uchida and Kenichi Nakajima during Juried Exhibition, Creative Mischief, National Academy Museum during Museum Mile, New York, 2017
Parade 5 - Sacrifices - performance with Yuko Uchida and Michael Murton, 10th NYC Anarchist Art Festival, Judson Memorial Church, NY, 2017
Spring - performance with Yuko Uchida and Michael Murton, Sideshow Gallery, Brooklyn, New York, 2017
heart2heart - public solo performance, part of Nine: 2017 Queens Museum Studio Program, 2017
heart2heart - public solo performance during Gestures, Junctures, Questions & Quotes, Sideshow Gallery, Williamsburg (Catalog), curator Paul D’Agostino, 2017
Blood Piece - performed with Yuko Uchinda & Julian Lewis during What is the color of your blood? solo exhibition, Klapper Gallery, Queens College, New York, 2017
The Unseen - performance for Chance Encounters: Cubism, Dada, and Surrealism, Godwin Ternbach Museum, curator Edward Powers, 2017
Parade 4 - The Dreamland - support for Yuko Uchida with Kenichi Nikajama, The Endless and Mobile Beautiful Collapsible Labyrinth - Flux Factory, Long Island City, New York, 2017
Parade 3 - Soak and plants - performance with Yuko Uchida, Bushwick Open Studio, Brooklyn, New York, 2016
Parade 2 - Circus - performance support for Yuko Uchida with Kenichi Nikajam, Juried Exhibition, Creative Mischief, National Academy Museum, New York, 2016
Parade 1 - Chindonya - performance with Yuko Uchida and company, Walk in The Armory Show, New York, 2016
Impressions - public solo performance at The Highline, New York, 2011
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Art as Social Action, Queens Museum, New York, (Catalog), 2021
Invincible Beings, NYFA and FPCNYC, New York, 2021
Homeward Bound, The Weekly Weekly virtual space, 2020
IN|BETWEEN, New York Live Arts, New York, 2019
Civic Art Lab: Inhabiting the Loop at Chinatown Soup, New York, 2019
Multiversant, Chashama Gallery, New York, 2019
Engaging Artists : New Works in Practice, HEREarts, New York, 2019
Making Connections - Citi de Ford Gallery & Plaxall Gallery, Long Island City, Queens, 2017
Art as a Tool for Resistance - Nine: 2017 Studio Program Exhibition, Queens Museum, New York, 2017
Creative Mischief - National Academy Museum, New York, USA (Catalog), 2017
Gestures, Junctures, Questions & Quotes - Sideshow Gallery, Williamsburg (Catalog), curator Paul D’Agostino, 2017
Protecting Our Nature and Our Sacred land - Community Partnership Gallery and SPQ Discussion at the Mierle Lederman Ukeles Peace Table, Queens Museum, 2017
Dining with Vultures - Sideshow Gallery, Williamsburg (Catalog), curator Sarah Fritchey, 2016
Creative Mischief - National Academy Museum, New York, USA (Catalog), 2016
Material Archive - Klapper Gallery, Queens College, New York, curator Adriana Pauly, 2016
A Living Museum - A public art intervention a Jackson Heights Post Office, Queens, Queens Art Intervention, 2015
Creative Mischief - National Academy Museum, New York, USA (Catalog), 2015
Our Nairobi - A Westgate Memorial Exhibition at the National Museum, Nairobi, Kenya, 2014
Unframed - Five Myles Gallery, Brooklyn, USA, 2014
Clio Art Fair Chelsea - New York, USA (Catalog), 2014
On the Relativity of Distance (and some of its consequences): American and Italian Art, 1963-2013
Sonia Gechthoff Gallery, (Catalog), Curators Filippo Fossati & Maurizio Pellegrin, New York, 2013
DRap Art, CCCB (Centre de Cultura Contemporània), Barcelona, Spain (Catalog), 2010
ENGAGEMENTS, LECTURES & PANELS
Ask a parasite? fall seminar guest lecture for Social Practice CUNY, Hunter College, New York, 2021
our collective fabric // the microbiome, two undergraduate seminar sessions with the Jayne Raper Lab Science & Art Collective, Hunter College, New York, 2021
Expert Panel Member for Sharing your Science Through Images and Graphics, Advanced Science and Research Center, Graduate Center, City University New York, 2021
Guest workshop presenter with Brianna Harlan for Arts in Action, University of Central Florida, 2021
our collective fabric // the microbiome, incubator session with Sarah Fressard and Jessica Das from the Jayne Raper Lab for Mayo Clinic Humanities in Medicine Symposium, 2021
PROFESSIONAL WORK
Artist in residence/research scholar in the Jayne Raper Lab - Department of Biological Sciences - Hunter College, New York, 2020–present
Artist assistant for Mariam Ghani, Brooklyn, New York, 2018–2019
Exhibition & curatorial support for COMMODITY & IDEOLOGY, PART I, curated by Heng-Gil Han, Queens, 2017
Living Memorial, collaborative site-specific work for Franklin Street Works benefit - Stamford, Connecticut, 2016
Artist support for Arjun Kholi - Our Nairobi - Westgate Memorial - Nairobi, 2014–15
Artist support for Xavier Verhoest - Who I am Who We Are - Nairobi, 2014
Curatorial & registrar support for National Academy Museum - New York, 2013–14
Artist assistant for Jorge Rodriguez Gerada N2 gallery exhibition - Barcelona - Spain, 2010
EDUCATION
The Alternative Art School, At Home in the Body, master class with Janine Antoni, virtual, 2021
Ongoing training and practice in The Six Viewpoints by Mary Overlie, 2018–present
MFA Social Practice - Queens College, New York, 2017
Studio Intensive Certificate Program - National Academy School - New York (scholarship), 2012–14
Foundation course in Contemporary Art - Metàfora International Workshop - Barcelona, Spain, 2009–10
MA in Geography - University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2002
RESIDENCIES
E|MERGE residency, Earthdance, Plainfield, Massachusetts, 2019
Immigrant Artist Mentorship Program, New York Foundation for the Arts, 2018–19
Engaging Artists Fellowship, More Art, New York, 2017–18
La Napoule Art Foundation – La Napoule, France (scholarship), 2015
Vermont Studio Center – Johnson, Vermont (scholarship), June–July 2013
Sculpture & New Media Summer Residency - School of Visual Arts, New York, July–August 2011
GRANTS
City Artist Corps, 2021
Action Art - Social Practice Queens - What is the color of your blood? & Living Memorial, 2016–17
Queens Art Intervention, 2015
ART-RELATED WRITING
Contributor to (2018) Art as Social Action: An Introduction to the Principles and Practices of Teaching Social Practice Art. Edited by Gregory Sholette, Chloë Bass, and Social Practice Queens
Grootenhuis, F. (2017) Artist essays on Agnes Miller Parker, Arshile Gorky and John Tunnard
exhibited in CHANCE ENCOUNTERS: Cubism, Dada, and Surrealism at the Godwin-Ternbach Museum, Queens College
Grootenhuis, F. (2016) Metanoya - hannes bend. Jamaica Flux
Grootenhuis, F. (2016) Dinner without an agenda with Alison Davis - A Reflection. Queens Museum website
OTHER
Currently an associate with IRMA, with the specialty of supporting, developing, and evaluating Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA). Developing online courses in Humanitarian Assistance for Institute of Humanitarian Affairs at Fordham University and the Center for International Humanitarian Cooperation (CIHC).