Karlo Štefanek is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice explores how identity is constructed, deconstructed, and reconstructed through the mediums of self-portraiture and performance. At eighteen, Štefanek moves to Amsterdam, where he begins laying the groundwork for his artistic methodology. The series Self-titled (2022-), which integrates both visual and performative elements, has become a cornerstone of his practice, challenging evolving notions of selfhood and perception. Štefanek has been showcased at CC Amstel, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2022); Stedelijk Museum, Rietveld Uncut, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2023); Treehouse, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2024); 2nd Floor, Groningen, Netherlands (2024); La Biennale, Venice, Italy (2024); Museum of Contemporary Art, Sounded Bodies, Zagreb, Croatia (2024); The Holy Art Gallery, London, United Kingdom (2024); SerformanceP Festival, São Paulo, Brazil (2024); Echo Studio, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2024); KIC, Zagreb, Croatia (2025); Vagon Gallery, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina (2025); Multimedia Institute MaMa, Zagreb, Croatia (2025); ARL, Dubrovnik, Croatia (2025); HDLU Istok, Osijek, Croatia (2025); HDLU, 60th Zagreb Salon, Zagreb, Croatia (2025); EMAD, Perforations, Buenos Aires, Argentina (2025); Performance in Flux, Immerse, Orlando, USA (2025);  Youth Biennial, Belgrade, Serbia (2025); Biennale del Vesuvio, Naples, Italy (2025), amongst others. The artist lives and works between Zagreb, Amsterdam and New York.

Performances

2022 Veneration of St. Sebastian, performance with Tobias Mud, CC Amstel, Becoming, Amsterdam, NL

2022 The chair, intervention, Museumplein, Amsterdam, NL

2022 Hyaluron, performance, M1 Med Beauty, Amsterdam, NL

2023 Mutual Weight, performance with Pieke Pleijers, Stedelijk Museum, Rietveld Uncut, Amsterdam, NL

2024 Memento, performance with Jillis Pieters, Treehouse, Amsterdam, NL

2024 Purification, performance with Katarina Šekutor, Lanište, Zagreb, HR

2024 Against Self, performance, Zagreb Dance Center, Perforations, Zagreb, HR

2024 The chair, intervention, La Biennale, Venice, IT

2024 Missing in Venice, performance, La Biennale, Venice, IT

2024 139 Letters to Noa Marlo, performance, group show Entangled, 2nd Floor, Groningen, NL

2025 Evil morning, performance with Aleksa Jovanović, KIC, Zagreb, HR

2025 Something like time (In the event of), performance, Crta za beskraj, KNAP, Zagreb, HR

2025 139 Letters to Noa Marlo, performance, Multimedia Institute MaMa, Queer Zagreb, Zagreb, HR

2025 Ah, I’m always so temporary, performance, ARL, Dubrovnik, HR

2025 Ah, I’m always so temporary, performance, Vagon Gallery, Banja Luka, BiH

2025 AaaaEeeeIiiiiOoooUuuu, performance, 60th Zagreb Salon, Zagreb, HR

2025 Ah, I’m always so temporary, performance, Perforations, Buenos Aires, AR

2025 Public Rehearsals (of Private Crossings), performance, Biennale del Vesuvio, Naples, IT

2026 Just ask (Prijatna kafica), performance, GMK, Zagreb, HR (upcoming)



Solo exhibitions

2025 Posthumous Personas, solo exhibition, KIC, Zagreb, HR

2025 Missing, solo exhibition, Domino, Zagreb, HR

2025 KARLO ŠTEFANEK WAS HERE, solo exhibition, ARL, Dubrovnik, HR

2025 Manifestations of Not Holding Down the Fork, solo exhibition, Vagon Gallery, Banja Luka, BiH

2025 Intimate Dialogue / Self-titled, solo exhibition, HDLU Istok, Osijek, HR

2026 Cheers! So she goes, solo exhibition, GMK, Zagreb, HR (upcoming)

Group exhibitions

2024 By the Means at Hand, Croatian Pavilion, La Biennale, Venice, IT

2024 Art on Loop, The Holy Art Gallery, London, UK

2024 SerformanceP, Estúdio Lâmina, São Paulo, BR

2024 Open Studio, Echo Studio, Amsterdam, NL

2024 Entangled, 2nd Floor, Groningen, NL

2025 Chosen Yu, SKCNS, Novi Sad, RS

2025 Okolo Around, Zagreb, HR

2025 Youth Biennial, Art pavilion Cvijeta Zuzorić, Belgrade, RS

2025 60th Zagreb Salon, HDLU, Zagreb, HR

2025 Biennale del Vesuvio, Naples, IT


Festivals & Screenings

2022 Becoming, Amstel CC, Amsterdam, NL

2023 Rietveld Uncut, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, NL

2024 Perforations, Zagreb Dance Center, Zagreb, HR

2024 Sounded Bodies, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, HR

2024 SerformanceP, Estúdio Lâmina, São Paulo, BR

2025 Performance in Flux, Immerse, Orlando, US

2025 Queer Zagreb, Multimedia Institute MaMa, Zagreb, HR

2025 Crta za beskraj, KNAP, Zagreb, HR

2025 Chosen Yu, SKCNS, Novi Sad, RS

2025 Okolo Around, Zagreb, HR

2025 60th Zagreb Salon, Zagreb, HR

2025 Perforations, Buenos Aires, AR

2025 Biennale del Vesuvio, Naples, IT Residencies & Artist talks 

2025 Queer Art Hub, residency at Domino, Zagreb, HR

2025 DA! Festival, artist talk: Karlo Štefanek with curator Leopold Rupnik, Zagreb, HR

2025 Biennale del Vesuvio, residency, Naples, IT 



Publications

2025 Letter Network, published by Lili Weinstein & Marco Verhoogt
2025 By the Means at Hand, published by Archive Books, by Vlatka Horvat  
2025 Bridges, self-published, by Karlo Štefanek, available at Athenaeum Scheltema (Amsterdam)





































  
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