documenta fifteen, workshop with ruangrupa and Artistic Team, Gertrude Flentge, Kassel, 2019, Photo: Nicolas Wefers Gertrude Flentge
Gertrude Flentge is member of the artistic team for documenta fifteen, together with ruangrupa.
Throughout her working life she has been involved in developing, facilitating and supporting (alternative) arts institutions, cultural networks and artists’ collectives, with an aim to rethink artistic practice and economy, towards more collaborative and just approaches.
Gertrude graduated in 1996 in cultural studies and policies at the Rijksuniversiteit in Groningen and coordinated several networks like the Gulliver network for artists and intellectuals in Europe at the Felix Meritis Foundation (1996-1999) and the RAIN network for visual artists initiatives in Africa, Asia and Latin-America at the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten (1999-2004). After freelancing for some time she started to work on funding practice at Hivos and later DOEN Foundation (2007-2020). At DOEN she co-developed the Arts Collaboratory network, amongst others to rethink approaches to work and life, build sustainable and interdependent artistic practices and to decolonize and de-bureaucratise funding practice. During these years she was also deeply involved in cultural sector building in West and East-Africa.
Gertrude is striving for a more commons based approach to life and work. She is involved in developing inclusive school and living environments.