Anouk Kruithof's First French Institutional Survey at CPIF

The Centre Photographique d'Île-de-France (CPIF) in Pontault-Combault presents 'Tentacle Togetherness', the first major institutional solo exhibition in France by Dutch artist Anouk Kruithof (born 1981). Running until September 16, 2023, the show gathers works from 2013 to 2022, including photographs, sculptures, collages, and installations. A centerpiece is the video 'Universal Tongue' (2018–2022), a compilation of over 8,000 dance videos sourced from YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, created with a team of 50 researchers worldwide. The full version consists of eight videos totaling 32 hours, shown simultaneously; a four-hour single-channel version was presented at Galerie Valeria Cetraro in July 2023, and another four-hour loop is projected at 'Un été au Havre' until September 17, 2023. The exhibition also features the series 'Trans Human Nature' (2019–2021), shot in Botopasi, a village in Surinamese Amazon where Kruithof spends several months each year. Humanoid sculptures made from metal tubes and covered with internet-sourced images of ocean pollution address environmental concerns, while latex sheets printed with crumpled fabric-like textures unify the display. Kruithof's monograph 'Be Like Water', covering 20 years of work, was published in 2023 by Mousse Publishing (Milan, €50).