BIOGRAPHY
The artistic practice of Zlatko Kopljar (b. 1962, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina) is driven by a relentless questioning of the role of the artist in contemporary society. His work moreover draws on collective and personal memory of the traumatic events of the Twentieth century and probes their lingering aftermath.
Since his graduation in 1991 from the Department of Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, Kopljar has forged a consistent practice that is multidisciplinary in form, working alternately in sculpture, architectural intervention, performance, photography, video and experimental cinema, in which the indices of communication are often scrambled or diverted. Kopljar’s artistic practice is imbued with a societal and institutional critique that is open-ended: it presents complexities rather than indictments or solutions.
Through a reduction of means, and an innate sense of stillness, ritual and progression, Kopljar sets about transforming personal themes into universal metaphors. The figure of the man in the reflective suit, the protagonist of Kopljar’s video works, offers a persona we can relate to, like a lightning rod for human aspiration. In recent work, scale models of objects provide viewers with surfaces onto which they can alternately project their own associations, admiration or discomforts.
Zlatko Kopljar represented Croatia at the São Paulo Biennial in 2004 and has had solo exhibitions in Croatia and abroad, including Zagreb, Ljubljana, Graz, Venice, Berlin, Cologne and Antwerp, among others. Recent group shows include Sanguine: Luc Tuymans on Baroque, Fondazione Prada, Milan; Fight love hope, Kunsthaus Graz; Luc Tuymans, A Vision of Central Europe – The Reality of The Lowest Rank, Bruges. His works are included in significant private and museum collections. Zlatko Kopljar lives and works in Zagreb, Croatia.
EDUCATION AND RESIDENCIES
2003 Franklin Furnace New York, USA
1986 – 1991 Academy of Fine Arts, Venice, Department of Painting, Italy
AWARDS AND HONORS
2021 The Vladimir Nazor Award
2011 Annual Award, Stiftung Bibel und Kultur, Stuttgart, Germany
COLLECTIONS
Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia
Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka, Croatia
Museum Contemporary Art, Novi Sad, Serbia
Minoriten Galerie Collection, Graz, Austria
Filip Trade Collection, Zagreb, Croatia
Gallery of Fine Arts, Split, Croatia
Gallery Ružić , Slavonski Brod, Croatia
SOLO SHOWS
2024
Zlatko Kopljar, Auslöschung (Erasion), KULTUMUSEUM, Graz, Austria, 27.9.2024.-12.1.2025. Curated by Johannes Rauchenberger
2021
Setup of the K19, Vatroslav Jagić park, Varaždin
Zlatko Kopljar – Tenebroso, Varaždin city Museum, Croatia. Curated by Branko Franceschi
2019
Constructions, Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb, HR, Curated by Leila Topić
2018
Empty, CASSTL, Antwerp, Belgium, Curated by CASSTL
2017
K21 Random Empty, Gallery Oris, Zagreb, Croatia
Empty, Museum of Contemporary Art of Istria, Pula, Croatia, Curated by Mladen Lučić
2015
K20 Empty, Gallery Island, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Curated by Slaven Tolj
K20 Empty, Gallery Greta, Zagreb, Croatia, Curated by David Lušić
K20 Empty, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka, Croatia, Curated by Slaven Tolj
K16, Stadslimiet, Antwerp, Belgium, Curated by Vast Colson and Dennis Tyfus
2014
From K series, Isabella Czarnowska Gallery, Berlin, Germany, Curated by Isabella Czarnowska
K16, K17, K18, Art cinema Croatia, Rijeka, Croatia, Curated by Slaven Tolj
K19, Croatian Association of Artists, Zagreb, Croatia
2013
K9 Compassion, Kunststation Sankt Peter, Cologne, Germany
K14, K15, K16, K17, Artists’ Cinema, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia, Curated by Branka Benčić
2012
Nuovi lavori, K15, K16, K17, Suzy Shammah Gallery, Milano, Italy, Curated by Suzy Shammah
Noue Arbaiten, K15, K16, K17, Isabella Czarnowsky Gallery, Berlin, Germany, Curated by Isabella Czarnowska
2011
From K series, Galerija Vinko Perčić, Subotica, Serbia, Curated by Spartak Dulić
2010
Light Tower, Oratorio di San Lodovico, Venice, Italy, Curated by Vittorio Urbani, The show “K13” by Zlatko Kopljar is produced by Associazione Culturale Nuova Icona in collaboration with Associazione E:,Venezia. With collaboration of Susanna Fabris.
From K series, K, Museum of Contemporary Art, Novi Sad, Serbia, Curated by Živko Grozdanić
Light Tower, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia, Curated by Tihomir Milovac
2009
Light Tower, Minoritengalerie, Steirische Herbst, Graz, Austria, Curated Johannes Rauchenberger
From K series, MMC Luka, Pula, Croatia, Curated by Branka Benčić
2008
K9 Compassion, Marilia Razuk Gallery, São Paulo, Brasil, Curated by Marilia Razuk
2007
K12, Glyptotheque, Croatian Academy Of Sciences And Arts, Zagreb, Croatia, Curated by Arijana Kralj
From K series, Gallery Waldinger, Osijek, Croatia, Curated by Ivan Faktor and Ana Marija Koljanin
2006
K9 Compassion, Gallery Gheto, Split, Croatia, Curated by Želkjko Jerman
K11, Glyptotheque, Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Zagreb, Croatia, Curated by Arijana Kralj
2005
K9 Compassion, K9 Compassion+, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka, Croatia, Curated by Branko Franceschi
K9 Compassion, K9 Compassion+, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia, Curated by Tihomir Milovac
2004
K10, Gallery Island, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Curated by Antun Maračić
K10, Glyptotheque, Croatian Academy Of Sciences And Arts, Zagreb, Croatia, Curated by Arijana Kralj
2002
K8, Gallery Miroslav Kraljević, Zagreb, Croatia, Curated by Branko Franceschi
K8, Art Gallery, Slavonski Brod, Croatia, Curated by Ivan Šeremet
2001
K5, Gallery Lazareti Dubrovnik, Croatia, Curated by Slaven Tolj
K5, performance in public space, Svetvinčenat, Croatia
K7, MM Center, Zagreb, Croatia, Curated by Ivan Pajić
2000
K3, MM Center, Rijeka, Croatia, Curated by Branko Franceschi
1999
K5, Art Museum, Slavonski Brod, Croatia
K5, Technical Museum, Zagreb, Croatia
1998
K3, Gallery Miroslav Kraljević, Zagreb, Croatia, Curated by Branko Franceschi
K2, Gallery Gallery Kapelica, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Curated by Jurij Krpan
1997
Shame, Gallery Kapelica, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Curated by Jurij Krpan
K2, Gallery Po Bota, Split, Croatia, Curated by Božo Majstorović
K2, Gallery 761, Ostrava, Czech Republic, Curated by Stanislav Cigoš
1996
Dove sarrei arrivato se fossi stato inelligente? Ubi ego?, Gallery Metelkova, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Love shot, open space / Sljeme, Zagreb, Croatia
Shame, Gallery Karas, Zagreb, Croatia
1995
Vjerujem, Gallery Miroslav Kraljević, Zagreb, Croatia, Curated by Branko Franceschi
Mastodont, Gallery PM, Zagreb, Croatia
Vinculum, Gallery Karas, Zagreb, Croatia
1994
Dove sarrei arrivato se fossi stato inelligente? Ubi ego?, Gallery PM, Zagreb, Croatia
Dangerous spaces, Gallery Island, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Curated by Slaven Tolj
1993
Dangerous spaces, Glyptotheque, Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts Zagreb, Croatia
1992
Sacrifice, Gallery CEKAO, Zagreb, Croatia, Curated by Damir Grubić
1990
Iron heart, Gallery SC, Beograd, Serbia, Curated by Biljana Tomić
Gallery Becić, Slavonski Brod, Croatia
GROUP SHOWS
2024
Croatian Fine Art of the 20th and 21st centuries, from the Collections of the Varaždin City Museum, Moravské zemské muzeum, Brno, 7.11.2024. /21. 2.2025.
2023
Ivan Šeremet/Zlatko Kopljar, Gallery Ružič, Slavonski Brod, Croatia, text: Željko Marciuš, Branko Franceschi.
Kud plovi ovaj oblak? – izložba iz zbirke MMSU, Rijeka, Croatia. 14.6.–25 curated by Ksenija Orelj, Sabina Salamon and Ljiljana Kolešnik
ALMISSA OPEN ART 2023, 8.-12.08. 2023. Omiš Croatia, curated by Ivan Mesek.
2022
Mercy, Luc Tuymans and Zlatko Kopljar, Galerija Vartai, Vilnius, Lithuania, curated by Ory Dessau.
2020
Realize!Resist!React!, Performance and Politics in the 1990s in Post-Yugoslav Context, Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova(+MSUM) Slovenia, curator Bojana Piškur, guest curators Linda Gusija, Jasna Jakšić, Vida Knežević, Nita Luci, Asja Mandić, Biljana Tanurovska-Kjulakovski, Ivana Vaseva, Rok Vevar, Jasminka Založnik.
Gebt mir Bilder, Deiozese Innsbruck, Austria, curated by Bischof Hermann Gletter
2019
ART / WAR / TRANSITION (1990 – 1991 – 2000 – 2010 – 2020 – 2021), MMSU Rijeka, Croatia, curated by Slaven Tolj
Who Summoned the Silence?, MMSU Rijeka, Croatia, curated by Slaven Tolj
Do secret services dream of a museum?, 5th project Biennale of Contemporary Art D-0 ARK underground, Konjic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, curated by Basak Senova, Branko Franceschi and Jonatan Habib Engqvist
Vertraut und Fremd. Vulgata. 77 Zugriffe auf die Bibel im Dommuseum Mainz, Sonderausstellung in Kooperation mit der Stiftung Bibel und Kultur Und Kultum Graz, Austria, Mainz, Germany, curated by Johannes Rauchenberger
Despite the Environment, Croatian Association of Artists, Zagreb, Croatia, curated by Branko Franceschi
2018
Sanguine: Luc Tuymans on Baroque, Fondazione Prada Milano, Italy, curated by Luc Tuymans
Six memos, Hall of Las Francesas, Valladolid, Spain, curated by Branka Benčić
Faith Love Hope, Kunsthaus Graz, Austria, curated by Katrin Bucher Trantow, Johannes Rauchenberger and Barbara Steiner, co-curated by Heimo Kaindl and Alois Kölbl
Together with KULTUM – the Minorites’ Cultural Center, in cooperation with Alte Galerie, Folk Life Museum and Diocesan Museum Graz, Austria
2017
Architecture in Contemporary Art, GALUM Split, Croatia, curated by Jasminka Babić and Branko Franceschi.
D(r)ugo sjećanje [en. Second remembrance], Gallery HDD, Zagreb, Croatia; The Center for Cultural Decontamination (CZKD) Beograd, Serbia, curated by Barbara Blasin, Aneta Lalić
Vulgata. 77 Zugriffe auf die Bibel, Minorites’ Cultural Center, Graz, Austria, curated by Johannes Rauchenberger
2016
(In)constancy of Space – Struggle for Identity, Arti et Amicitiae, Amsterdam, Netherlands, curated by Neva Lukić and Vanja Babić
Industrial Art Biennale, Labin, Croatia, curated by Branko Franceschi and Lucrezia de Dominizio
The Society of the Spectacle, Croatian Association of Artists, Barrel Gallery, Zagreb, Croatia, curated by Josip Zanki and Gintautas Mažeikis
2015
Signal Over the City, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka, Croatia, curated by Sabina Salomon
Out of Time and Space, International exhibition of video art, Gallery of Fine Arts Split, Croatia, curated by Branko Franceschi
Moving image Art fair New York, New York, CEC Artslink, New York, USA
14th days of performance Varaždin, Varaždin and Museum of Contemporary Art of Istria, Pula, Croatia, curated by Branko Franceschi
Within the Giant’s Belly, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka, Croatia, curated by Ksenija Orelj
2014
Notes on Undoing, Gallery Garis & Hahn, New York, USA, curated by Branka Benčić
Industrial Art Biennale, Labin, Croatia, curated by Branko Franceschi
Lovely days, Bol, Croatia, curated by Branko Franceschi
54th Annale of Poreč, Poreč, Croatia, curated by Branka Benčić
2013
Alternative film/video festival, Beograd, Serbia, curated by Branka Benčić
Rohkunstbau XIX, Berlin, Germany, curated by Mark Gisbourne
UNI-JA/UNI-ON, Lublin, Poland, curated by Anda Rottenberg
2012
Croatie la Voici – Festival de la Croatie en France, Le Générateur, Paris, France, performing arts section curated by Mehdi Brit
Instants Video Festival, Marseille, France, curated by Branka Benčić
Abstraction, Modernism and Contemporary Time, Klovićevi dvori, Zagreb, Croatia, curated by Ana Medić and Ivana Mance
Mitleid Compassion, Minoritengalerie, Steirische Herbst, Graz, Austria, curated by Johannes Rauchenberger
2011
T-HT Award, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia
Public matters!,- Publika je pomembna! Gallery of Contemporary Art, Celje, Slovenia, curated by Branko Franceschi
2010
Luc Tuymans, A Vision of Central Europe – The Reality of The Lowest Rank, Bruges, Belgium, curated by Luc Tuymans and Tommy Simoens
A Pair of Left Shoes, Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb, Croatia, curated by Tihomir Milovac
2009
Temple, Croatian Association of Artists, Zagreb, Croatia, Ring Gallery, curated by Branko Franceschi and Mark Gisbourne
Political Speech is Suprematism, Croatian Association of Artists, Slought Foundation, Philadelphia, USA, curated by Branko Franceschi
Art and terrorism, Bosnian Herzegovinaian artwork post 9/11, City Gallery Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina, curated by Irfan Hošić
A Pair of Left Shoes, Kunstmuseum Bochum, Germany, curated by Tihomir Milovac
International festival of live art, Glasgow, United Kingdom
Zotti&Allievi, Magazzini del Sale, Venice, Italy, curated by Branko Franceschi
2008
Tvrđava@rt – communications, Gallery Ružić, Slavonski Brod, Croatia, curated by Ivan Šeremet
What about Power Relations? Gallery Škuc, Ljubljana, Slovenia, curated by Martina Vovk, Alenka Gregorič, Tevž Logar, Mara Vujić, Vanja Žanko and Mihaela Richter
Zotti i njegova klasa, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka, Croatia, curated by Branko Franceschi
Bad Joke, Riga Art Space, Riga, Latvia, curated by Johannes Saar
Conceptual Art, Croatian Association of Artists, Zagreb, Croatia, curated by Miško Šuvaković
Obscurium per obscurius, Art Hall Tallinn, Estonia, curated by Ilja Sundelevit and Reet Varblane
Paso Doble, Multimedia Culture Center Split, Croatia, curated by Branko Franceschi
BUK, Gallery Miroslav Kraljević, Zagreb, Croatia, curated by Kata Mijatović and Zoran Pavelić
2007
Bad Joke, Center for Contemporary Art, Tallinn, Estonia, curated by Johannes Saar
B5 studio, Târgu Mureș, Romania, curated by Branko Franceschi
Gestures of Infinity, Graz, Austria, Curated by Johannes Rauchenberger
Nature and Society – Parallel Lines, Museum Rupe, Dubrovnik, Croatia, curated by Robin Mason and Silva Kalčić
Croatian contemporary art, Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi, India, curated by Jerica Ziherl
Suffest, Križevci, Croatia, curated by Saša Živković
MAP LIVE, Carlisle, United Kingdom
42nd Zagreb salon, Zagreb, Croatia
2006
20th Slavonian bienniale, Muzej likovnih umjetnosti Osijek, Croatia
Balkan TV, Shiftung BINZ39, Zurich, Switzerland, curated by Željka Marušić and Andreas Helbling
41st Zagreb salon of Architecture, Zagreb, Croatia
Body. City. – within a Croatian perspective, Gallery MC, New York, USA, curated by Branko Franceschi
Insert, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka, Croatia, curated by Tihomir Milovac
2005
Beyond seven seas and seven hills, Art Pavilion, Zagreb, Croatia, curated by Tihomir Milovac
Landscape in Contemporary Croatian Art, Split, Croatia, curated by Branko Franceschi
Insert, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia, curated by Tihomir Milovac
5th Performance days, Varaždin, Croatia, curated by Branko Franceschi
2004
26th bienal de São Paulo, A Bienal come territorio livre, São Paulo, Brazil, curated by Alfons Hug, Croatian Pavilion curated by Branko Franceschi
Co-Habitation, Gallery Tactile Bosh, Cardiff, United Kingdom, curated by Kim Felding
2003
K9, The Kitchen, New York, USA
2002
Here Tomorrow, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia, curated by Roxana Marcoci
Coed Hills Rural Artspace, Cardiff, United Kingdom, curated by Rowley Clay
Prima, Split, Croatia, curated by Tamara Visković
Minute of silence, Gallery Miroslav Kraljević, Zagreb, Croatia, curated by Janka Vukmir
2001
Eternal Quest for Home, Poznan, Poland, curated by Kenny McBride
2000
Flick Project LA-Croatia, Los Angeles, USA, curated by Slaven Tolj
Borders-Granice, Slavonski Brod, Croatia, curated by Ivan Šeremet
Ambience 90., Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka, Croatia, curated by Branko Franceschi
Ambience 90., Collegium artisticum Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, curated by Branko Franceschi
1999
Zadar snova – International Festival of Contemporary Theater, Zadar, Croatia
1998
Book and society – 22%, SCCA Zagreb, Croatia
Gallery Manes, Praha, Czech Republic, K3
1997
Public body, Performance festival, SCCA Zagreb, Croatia
Malamut, Performance festival, Ostrava, Czech Republic, curated by Stanislav Cigos
1996
Island, Dubrovnik, SCCA Zagreb, Croatia
1995
Croatian photography, Art Pavilion, Croatian Photo Association, Zagreb, Croatia
Zagreb salon, Klovićevi dvori, Zagreb, Croatia
Biennale of Young Artists, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka, Croatia
1994
34th Annale of Poreč, Poreč, Croatia, curated by Zvonko Maković
1993
Zagreb-Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia
11th International Biennial of Small Sculpture, Murska Sobota, Slovenia, curated by Želimir Koščević
1st International Biennial of Graphic, Maastricht, Netherlands, curated by Želimir Koščević
New Croatian Art, Zagreb, Croatia, curated by Igor Zidić
1992
Zagreb salon, Klovićevi dvori, Zagreb, Croatia
Ego East, Croatian Art Now, Zagreb, Croatia, curated by the group EgoEast