Born in 1947 in Belgrade – then the capital of Yugoslavia – Mladen Stilinović charted most of his artistic course in Croatia, from where he rose to international prominence as one of the leading figures in conceptual art. His work, rooted in thorough analysis of the social, political, and economic contexts, utilized a variety of formats to raise questions about power structures and the role of the artist in contemporary society. Self-taught, he was active in the cultural scene of 1970s Zagreb and was one of the founders of the cultural movement Nova umjetnička praksa (New Artistic Practice), a group that sought to democratize access to art by emancipating it from its traditional spaces. With Nova umjetnička praksa, Stilinović conducted what the group called “exhibition-actions”: participatory interventions in public spaces and unconventional places. This performative pull would remain a hallmark even in Stilinović’s later work.
An essential aspect of his approach was the interest in language, from its communicative function to its ideological role. Well-versed in the theories of Bakhtin and Barthes, Stilinović critically – and often ironically – explored the various ideologies that have used language as a tool for manipulation throughout history. In keeping with this challenging of systems of power, Stilinović examined the relationship between art and work in projects like Umjetnik radi (Artist at Work, 1978), a series of eight black-and-white photographs in which he is depicted lying in bed, alluding to rest as a creative revolutionary act. His consideration of the artist’s labor would be a recurring theme throughout his work, which was frequently critical of artistic canon and institutions. The series Eksploatacija mrtvih (Exploitation of the Dead, 1984-90), in which Stilinović appropriated styles and works of Russian avant-garde artists, exemplifies his questioning of the hegemonic narrative of Art History: by mimicking suprematist and constructivist artists and declaring them dead, Stilinović stripped them of all meaning.
Stilinović’s work has featured in major solo exhibitions worldwide, including retrospectives at Grazer Kunstverein (Graz, Austria, 2006); Muzej suvremene umjetnosti (Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia, 2011); and Museum of Modern Art (New York, USA, 2017). His works are held in prominent museum collections, such as those at the Museum of Modern Art (New York, USA), the Centre Pompidou (Paris, France), and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Madrid, Spain).
Born in 1947 in Belgrade – then the capital of Yugoslavia – Mladen Stilinović charted most of his artistic course in Croatia, from where he rose to international prominence as one of the leading figures in conceptual art. His work, rooted in thorough analysis of the social, political, and economic contexts, utilized a variety of formats to raise questions about power structures and the role of the artist in contemporary society. Self-taught, he was active in the cultural scene of 1970s Zagreb and was one of the founders of the cultural movement Nova umjetnička praksa (New Artistic Practice), a group that sought to democratize access to art by emancipating it from its traditional spaces. With Nova umjetnička praksa, Stilinović conducted what the group called “exhibition-actions”: participatory interventions in public spaces and unconventional places. This performative pull would remain a hallmark even in Stilinović’s later work.
An essential aspect of his approach was the interest in language, from its communicative function to its ideological role. Well-versed in the theories of Bakhtin and Barthes, Stilinović critically – and often ironically – explored the various ideologies that have used language as a tool for manipulation throughout history. In keeping with this challenging of systems of power, Stilinović examined the relationship between art and work in projects like Umjetnik radi (Artist at Work, 1978), a series of eight black-and-white photographs in which he is depicted lying in bed, alluding to rest as a creative revolutionary act. His consideration of the artist’s labor would be a recurring theme throughout his work, which was frequently critical of artistic canon and institutions. The series Eksploatacija mrtvih (Exploitation of the Dead, 1984-90), in which Stilinović appropriated styles and works of Russian avant-garde artists, exemplifies his questioning of the hegemonic narrative of Art History: by mimicking suprematist and constructivist artists and declaring them dead, Stilinović stripped them of all meaning.
Stilinović’s work has featured in major solo exhibitions worldwide, including retrospectives at Grazer Kunstverein (Graz, Austria, 2006); Muzej suvremene umjetnosti (Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia, 2011); and Museum of Modern Art (New York, USA, 2017). His works are held in prominent museum collections, such as those at the Museum of Modern Art (New York, USA), the Centre Pompidou (Paris, France), and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Madrid, Spain).