Anouk Kruithof

About

Anouk Kruithof (b. 1981, Dordrecht, The Netherlands) is a visual artist with a trans-disciplinary approach which encompasses sculpture, photography, collage, video, books, websites and (social) interventions in the public domain. The work depicts the transience and the chaos of this world, which she skilfully addresses by mixing urgent social issues with personal experience to mirror the state prevalent in our society today. Kruithof tries to reveal ‘the nerves of the time’ by deftly identifying social, psychological and ethical dilemmas. Observing, analysing, collecting, acting and reacting inform her thoughtful and playful work method, which does not at all detract from her serious approach as a social and political agent. In this time, Kruithof has formulated a highly idiosyncratic view of this world, one where the personal has become political. By continually navigating between the digital and physical experiential spheres, Kruithof investigates a collective state of mind that is not solely grounded in the material world, but more often in an amorphous one. She conteplates a world consisting of a relentless stream of edited, constructed and spliced-together images that have lost their credibility: resulting today in a reality that is thoroughly scripted and subject to permanent post-production. The scope of her world view extends from environmental pollution and the consequences of climate change to government surveillance practices, privacy to inequality and protest. From anonymity to signs of nervousness such as stress and exhaustion, sha- me and social discomfort, all in an effort to address a collective consciousness of human failing towards humanity itself and planet earth at large. Kruithof is acutely aware of her double role as image maker and image consumer. Just like the visual culture in which we live, her paradoxical layered work method is heart-warming and revealing, personal and universal, uplifting and oppressive, light-hearted and dystopian.

She has been working as an artist full-time since 2003 and currently lives alternately in Brussels, Berlin, Botopasi, Suriname and the Netherlands. Kruithof has had solo exhibitions in Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam, Centro de la Imagen Mexico City and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Her work has also been included in the collections of SFMoMA in San Francisco, Museum Folkwang in Essen and Museum Voorlinden in Wassenaar. Kruithof published 15 books and she was selected for The Gallery of Honour of Dutch photography at Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam in 2021 and she won the public prize of the Volkskrant Beeldende Kunstprijs in 2016. Her most known project Universal Tongue is still intensively shown all over the world and has been exhibited in Museum Tinguely in Basel, Vooruit in Ghent and at WHOLE | United Queer Festival, Ferropolis, Gräfenhainichen, Germany.

Artworks

Curriculum Vitae

Anouk Kruithof / artist website

Exhibitions

2026/2027
Universal Tongue, Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany

Universal Tongue, Moderne Galerie, Saarlandmuseum, Saarbrücken, Germany

Universal Tongue, Musuem Voorlinden, Wassenaar, NL (Now on view )

Let’s sea, raam art space by Vriend van Bavink Gallery, Amsterdam , NL (Upcoming, sep 2026)

I identify as, Projections at Art Rotterdam with Vriend van Bavink Gallery, Rotterdam, NL

2025

Universal Tongue, De Nederlandsche Bank, Amsterdam, NL / Museum aan de Stroom (MAS) Antwerpen, Belgium

2024

Whirlwind Raamwerk, Centraal Museum, Utrecht, NL

Vivre Vite, Grégory Cuquel & Anouk Kruithof Image/Imatge, Orthez, France

Universal Tongue, Art & Sport, GrandPalaisRmn, Grenoble, France / Mercerie, Brussels, Belgium / Kunsthal, Rotterdam, NL

2023

Universal Tongue, Le Confort Moderne, Poitiers, France / Galerie Valeria Cetraro, Paris, France

Tentacle Togetherness, Centre Photographique d’Ile de-France Pontault-Combault, France

The toes you step on today might be con-nected to the ass you’re kissing tomorrow , Willem Twee Kunstruimte, ’s-Hertogenbosch, NL

Trans Human Nature , Art Rotterdam, Galerie Valeria Cetraro Gallery Sofie Van de Velde, Rotterdam, NL

2022

Universal Tongue, Melkweg Expo, Amsterdam, NL / Kunstmin, Energiehuis, Dordrecht, NL / Museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar, NL / Museum Tinguely, Basel, Switzerland

WHOLE United Queer Festival , Orangerie, Ferropolis, Germany

Niet Meer Normaal , Kunstkerk Dordrecht, NL

2021

Perpetual Endless Flow , FuturDome, Milan, Italy

Universal Tongue , Noorderzon at Vera, Groningen, NL / FotoFestival Naarden / Vooruit, Ghent, Belgium

Trans Human Nature , Galerie Valeria Cetraro, Paris, France / 254Forest, Brussels, Belgium

2020

Jan Paul Evers & Anouk Kruithof , Galerie Jo van der Loo, Munich, Germany

2019

Becoming Blue, Casemore I Kirkeby, San Francisco, US

2018

Transformagic, Association for Contemporary Culture Fotopub, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Anouk Kruithof & Erin Mitchell, Buffering MELK, Oslo, Norway

2017

¡Aguas! Next Level , FOAM, Amsterdam, NL

Ego, Eco, Crescendo , French Pavilion, Organ Vida, Zagreb, Croatia

The Aesthetics of Contamination , Galerie Escougnou-Cetraro, Paris, France

Enclosed content chatting away in the colour invisibility , Casemore I Kirkeby, San Francisco, US

AHEAD , Centro de la Imagen, Mexico City, Mexico

#Evidence Casemore I Kirkeby, San Francisco, US

2016

Neutral, Galerie Jo van der Loo, Munich, Germany

<CONNECTION>, Offprint, Tate Modern, London, UK

2015

Sweaty Sculptures, Green Is Gold, Copenhagen, Denmark

AHEAD, FOUR A.M., New York, US

2014

Paulien Oltheten & Anouk Kruithof, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, NL

2012

RUHE , Autocenter, Berlin, Germany

Untitled (I’ve taken too many photos/I’ve never taken a photo) , Tour des Templiers, Hyères, France

2009

Becoming Blue , Museum De Domijnen, Sittard, NL

Becoming Blue, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany

2006

The Black Hole with Jaap Scheeren, FOAM, Amsterdam, NL

Selected Group Exhibitions

2026

Post Pollution, raam art space, Amsterdam, NL

2025

UnfoldX art festival Seoul Culture Station 284, Seoul, South Korea

Biennale de l’Image Tangible Espace Niemeyer, Paris, France

Alles Stroomt Dordrechts Museum, NL

Thriller: Think Common, Play Public 11e Triennale d’Ottignies-Louvain-laNeuve, Belgium

It rains on wet paper Museo d’Art Modern de Tarragona, Spain Friese Museumnacht De Tropische Kas, Beetsterzwaag, NL

Everybody wants to rule the world Vriend Van Bavink, Amsterdam, NL

For Gaza Centre culturel de Liège Les Chiroux, Liege, Belgium

Machine Entanglements Noorderlicht Biennale, Museum Belvédère, Heerenveen, NL

Re-thinking Innovation Noorderlicht, NL

Pavilion, Osaka Expo 2025, Japan

Wild Summer of Art Brutus, Rotterdam, NL

Trio exhibition Vriend Van Bavink, Amsterdam, NL

Buy or Burn Brutus, Rotterdam, NL

Perspektivwechsel Lausitz lass uns segeln, ORLA e.V. Wachau, Germany

The life of things Museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar, NL

2024

Falling, New Grounds Kunstenfront, Maastricht, NL

Collection Volume 3 SIRA, Paris, France

On the sixth day galerie Jo van de Loo, Munchen, Germany

Grow it, Show it! a look at hair from Diane Arbus to TikTok Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany

Tanzwelten, Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn, Germany

Unseen, Gallery Vriend van Bavink, Amsterdam,

NL Body Heat Droog, Amsterdam, NL

Seymour Jahn und Jahn, Munich, Germany

Sint Rosa Festival, Het Nieuwe Domein, Sittard, NL

Limburg Biënnale 2024, Marres, Maastricht, NL

Body Heat North Sea Jazz Festival, Ahoy Rotterdam, NL

Love yourself first AFF Galerie, Berlin, Germany

Mystery Bag Mercerie, Brussels, Belgium

Can’t we all just get along? Stevenson gallery, Amsterdam, NL

Art with salt and water European Capital of Culture Bad Ischl Sudhaus Bad Ischl, Austria

Art Rotterdam , Gallery Vriend van Bavink, Rotterdam, NL

2023

Burning down the house , AFF Galerie e.V., Berlin, Germany

See Beyond The Sea, Festival internazionale di fotografia e arte PhEST, Monopoli, Italy

Nocturne with Anouk Kruithof , Cloud Seven, Brussels, Belgium

Un Été Au Havre , édition 23, Le Havre, France

Becoming Earths , Galerie Caroline O’Breen, Amsterdam, NL

Mama’s Pride, A Field Guide to Getting Lost , Het Nieuwe Domein, Sittard, NL

Just Dance, schrit_tmacher , Schunck Glass Palace, Heerlen, NL

Uit het donker (winter warm) , De Warande at de Hoge Rielen, Kasterlee, Belgium

2022

Sightlines , SFMOMA San Fransisco, US

Do Not Fold, Spindle or Mutilate Casemore I Kirkeby, San Francisco, US

The World Was All Before Them , TULCA Festival of Visual Arts, Galway, Ireland

Night, Chroniques , Biennale of Digital Imagination, Friche la Belle de Mai, Marseille, France

Tales of Togetherness KIKK Festival, Namur, Belgium

Big DaDa , Arti et Amicitiae, Amsterdam, NL

I can live forever , Gallery Sofie Van de Velde, Antwerp, Belgium

States of Disruption, Centre for Contemporary Photography Melbourne, Australia

Of Melting and Disappearing , Kunstforum Montafon, Schruns, Austria

Avecques Amertume, Les Limbes, Saint-Étienne, France

Refinery Monastery , 20th Pancevo Biennial, Pancevo, Serbia

Overdose –Collection Galila’s P.O.C. Design Museum, Holon, Israel

From where I stand , Biennale für aktuelle Fotografie, Port 25, Mannheim, Germany

Inside the outside , CODA, Apeldoorn, NL

Folkwang and the City , Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany

2021

Biennale NOVA_XX , Centre Wallonie Bruxelles, Paris, France

Global Groove Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany

Bye Bye His-Story, chapter 5050, Centre de la Gravure et de l’Image imprimée La Louvière, Belgium

À Fleur de monde , Centre Photographique Rouen Normandie Rouen, France

One and One is Three Museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar, NL

Eregalerij van de Nederlandse Fotografie Fotomuseum, Rotterdam, NL

2020

On Earth — Imaging, Technology and the Natural World , Le Lieu Unique, Nantes, France

Nach uns die Sintflut (After us, the flood) Kunst Haus Wien, Vienna, Austria

La photographie à l’épreuve de l’abstraction Centre Photographique d’Ile-de-France Pontault-Combault, France;

Frac Normandie Rouen, Rouen, France Spoiled Waters Spilled , Parallel Du Sud Program, Le Ballet National Manifesta13, Marseille, France

On Earth — Imaging, Technology and the Natural World , FOAM, Amsterdam, NL

Persona Everyware , Centre d’art Le Lait, Albi, France

2019

EXPO Koelkast , Garage Noord, Amsterdam, NL

Identify Us Babel / Willem Twee muziek en beeldende kunst, s’Hertogenbosch, NL

Unsupported Message Format Galerie Valeria Cetraro, Paris, France

On Earth — Imaging, Technology and the Natural World Les Forges I LUMA, Arles, France

The Life of Things MOMENTA | Biennale de l’image Montreal, Canada

Joy before the object Seventeen Gallery, London, UK

Handless Operative Casemore I Kirkeby, San Francisco, US

Model Staan Stedelijke Kunstacademie Tielt, Belgium

Mexico on my mind Cultuurcentrum van Berchem, Antwerp, Belgium

Trouble in Paradise Collection Rattan Chadha Kunsthal Rotterdam, Rotterdam, NL

2018

Inside/out: Family, Memory, Loss, Displacement

Center for Book Arts, New York, US Loading… Works from the FOAM collection FOAM, Amsterdam, NL

Beautiful Distress , Zomergasten Museum Dr. Guislain, Ghent, Belgium

Scene Unseen Forum Triangulare, Kasteel, Oud-Rekem, NL

[INSERT TITLE] Kleine Humboldt Galerie Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Human Nature Fotofestiwal Art Inkubator Lodz, Poland

Concealer , Peckham 24 Copeland Gallery, London, UK

10 Years Base-Alpha Gallery — , Part III Prospects , Antwerp, Belgium

2017

Chapter 3, The Control of Images Foto Forum, Bolzano, Italy

Paperworks , Museo Tamayo, Mexico City, Mexico Façade Middelburg, NL

Face + Identity , Art Centre Silkeborg Bad, Silkeborg, Denmark

You can tell I’m alive and well because I weep continuously Knockdown Center, New York, US

Objectivism (Visual Philosophies) , KARST Projects, Plymouth, UK

2016

Volkskrant Beeldende Kunst Prijs Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, Schiedam, NL

Temporary Highs , Bitforms, New York, US

Loin des yeux Optica, Montreal, Canada

2015

Ocean of Images: New Photography 2015 MoMA, New York, US

Picture/Thing , Zilkha Gallery, Wesleyan University, Middletown, US

Undendliche Bibliothek Alte Fabrik, Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland

2014

L’art se Livre , MBAL, Le Locle, Switzerland

The Spectrum of Ethereal , Trafó, Budapest, Hungary

Collections

Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, NL

Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam, NL

FOAM, Amsterdam, NL

Museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar, NL

Centraal Museum, Utrecht, NL

Dordrechts Museum, Dordrecht, NL

bonnefanten, Maastricht, NL

Museum de Domijnen, Sittard, NL

Museum aan de Stroom (MAS), Antwerpen, Belgium

Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany

Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany

Grimmuseum, Berlin, Germany

Fotomuseum, Winterthur, Switzerland

MBAL, Le Locle, Switzerland

SFMOMA, San Francisco, US

Aperture Foundation, New York, US

Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, US

Pier24 Photography library, San Francisco, US

MoMA library, New York, US

ICP library, New York, US

New York Public Library, New York, US