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.

Education

2021 - 2025 BA in Fashion Branding, Amsterdam Fashion Institute, NL

2019 Parsons Summer Academy, New York, US

performances

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2022 The chair, intervention, Museumplein, Amsterdam, NL

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

Solo Exhibitions

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

2026 BODY. NORM. RESISTANCE, solo exhibition, Novo Gallery, Pula, HR (upcoming)

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

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

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

2025 Missing, solo exhibition, Domino, Zagreb, HR

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

Group Exhibitions

2026 SerformanceP, Estúdio Lâmina, São Paulo, BR (upcoming)

2025 Biennale del Vesuvio, Naples, IT

2025 Perforations, Buenos Aires, AR

2025 60th Zagreb Salon, HDLU, Zagreb, HR

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

2025 Okolo Around, Zagreb, HR

2025 Chosen Yu, SKCNS, Novi Sad, RS

2025 Queer Zagreb, Multimedia Institute MaMa, Zagreb, HR

2025 Crta za beskraj, KNAP, Zagreb, HR

2025 Performance in Flux, Immerse, Orlando, US

2024 Entangled, 2nd Floor, Groningen, NL

2024 Open Studio, Echo Studio, Amsterdam, NL

2024 SerformanceP, Estúdio Lâmina, São Paulo, BR

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

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

2024 Perforations, Zagreb Dance Center, Zagreb, HR

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

2023 Rietveld Uncut, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, NL

2022 Becoming, Amstel CC, Amsterdam, NL

residencies & artist talks

2025 Biennale del Vesuvio, residency, Naples, IT

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

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

Publications

2026 Letter Network, published by Lili Weinstein & Marco Verhoogt (upcoming)

2025 Bridges, self-published, available at Athenaeum Scheltema, Amsterdam, NL

2025 By the Means at Hand, published by Archive Books, by Vlatka Horvat

grants

2026 Public Needs in Culture Programme of the City of Zagreb

2025 Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia

Selected Interviews

2025 Vogue Adria, profiled by Aleksa Jovanović

2025 Plesna scena, profiled by Suzana Marjanić

2025 Vizkultura, profiled by Leopold Rupnik

2025 Jutarnji List, profiled by Lana Ribarić

2024 Lineabold, profiled by Klara Šimunović

press Clipping

2026 Vogue Adria / 2026 Jutarnji list / 2025 Večernji list / 2025 HRT3 Talk show “ART” / 2025 HRT / 2025 Hello Magazine / 2025 TPortal / 2025 Ziher.hr / 2025 Journal / 2025 Vizkultura / 2025 Escénicas Baires / 2025 Fama / 2025 Plesopis / 2025 Novi list / 2025 Metafora / 2025 Domino /2025 HRT Radio Osijek / 2025 Glas Slavonije / 2025 HDLU Istok / 2025 Nezavisne novine / 2025 Jutarnji List / 2025 Vizkultura / 2025 Journal / 2025 Hello Magazine / 2025 Index / 2025 Zagreb Info / 2025 Dom&Dizajn / 2025 Suvremena Hrvatska Fotografija / 2025 The Dubrovnik Times / 2025 Dubrovnik Insider / 2025 Libero Portal / 2025 Dubrovnik net / 2025 DU List / 2025 Dalmatinski portal / 2025 Dubrovački vjesnik / 2025 Dubrovnik net / 2025 Glas Grada / 2025 Kulturpunkt / 2025 Suvremena Hrvatska Fotografija / 2025 Plesna scena / 2025 Vogue Adria / 2025 Vogue Adria / 2025 Jutarnji list / 2025 Metro Portal / 2025 Film MAG / 2025 Vizkultura / 2025 Plesna scena / 2025 Vizkultura / 2025 Vizkultura / 2025 Večernji list / 2025 Jutarnji list / 2025 Vogue Adria / 2024 Jutarnji list / 2024 Metro Portal / 2024 Večernji list / 2024 Telegram / 2024 H-alter / 2024 Večernji list / 2024 Art Kvart / 2024 LINEA BOLD

p. Maja Bosnić, 2025

Karlo Štefanek

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