Bio
Through Performance, video, and textile work Floyd Schleußinger’s practice is embedded in storytelling. From a makeup mogul, to an unsuccessful artist, to a poet fish, to an eco-warrior Schleußinger grapples with the subjects of gender performativity, hyperreality, non-human perspectives and ecological destruction in a humorous, playful manner, that allows the audience to laugh about these ungraceful, awkward, characters. With care and intention, Schleußinger plunges into the world of their characters and lets them come to life through costumes, body paint, differing accents, facial expressions, and postures.
Artist Statement
Glueing on plastic nails, applying lip liner on a trout pout, laying thick contouring powder onto nose and cheekbones, letting facial expressions freeze to a minimal movement, putting on a conceited gaze, Floyd is stepping into the shoes of Sheila O’Connor, a rich make up mogul from the states, that appears to have it all, until you listen to what she really has to say. From ungraceful encounters to staged appearances Sheila makes the viewer uncomfortably awkward and laughing out loud. Nothing is as it seems with Sheila.
In their practice Floyd Schleußinger steps into the shoes of different characters. They allow the artist to explore and play with subjects like ecological destruction, non-human perspectives, gender performativity and hyperreality. The characters Schleußinger creates have a certain awkwardness and ungracefulness about them. They are way too self obsessed and try to curate their image, which does not always turn out in their favour. The artist is interested in peeking behind the facade, the characters have created for themselves. They are not as successful, as popular, as perfect as they seem. In the age of social media, celebrity culture and influencers, reality is not as it used to be. Everything is carefully curated, people are becoming brands and earning massive amounts of money with it. By creating a story of themselves which is as scripted as a movie.
At the same time the exploitation of the planet takes its toll on numerous species and entire eco-systems collapse. Be it overfishing, oil spills, lithium extraction or space tourism. The impacts are immense for the planet. To talk about these subjects Schleußinger finds it important to step into the shoes of not only humans but also of plants, animals, and eco-systems. What is their voice? What is their role? What do they have to say about this fast-paced, wild world, that we call our reality?
Curriculum Vitae
Education
2021-2025 Artez University of the Arts, Arnhem – B.A. BEAR Fine Arts
Residencies
2024 Cittadellarte, Biella, Italy. 11 September – 11 October.
Cittadellarte, Biella, Italy. January.
2023 Performing Arts Forum, Saint-Erme-Outre-et-Ramecourt, France. 1 Week beginning of April.
2022 Performing Arts Forum, Saint-Erme-Outre-et-Ramecourt, France. 1 Week end of March.
Group Shows
2025
One Night Stand, Kunstpodium T, Tilburg, Netherlands, 4 December.
Chewed, unchewed,Artez, Arnhem, Netherlands. 2-5 July.
Flesh, Fish, and Fear, Dat Bolwerck, Zutphen, Netherlands. January 17- April 23.
Performances & Talks
2025 Flesh, Fish, and Fear, Artist Talk, Dat Bolwerck, Zutphen, Netherlands. 12 April.
Richard the Poet Fish and Other Strange Encounters, Performance, Dat Bolwerck, Zutphen, Netherlands. 12 April.
Richard the Poet Fish and Other Strange Encounters, Performance, Dat Bolwerck, Zutphen, Netherlands. 1 February.
2024 ‘What if..?’, Performance, Dat Bolwerck, Zutphen, Netherlands. 16 March.