Mladen Stilinović

Mladen Stilinović was a Croatian artist born on August 10, 1947, in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia) and passed away on July 18, 2016, in Zagreb, Croatia. He was a prominent figure in the contemporary art scene in the former Yugoslavia and beyond, known for his conceptual art, performance, and multimedia installations.

Stilinović studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, where he graduated in 1971. He was a member of the informal group "Group of Six Artists," which included artists such as Boris Demur, Željko Jerman, and Vlado Martek, who were pioneers of conceptual art in Croatia.

Stilinović's early works were influenced by the political and social situation in Yugoslavia, and he often used humor and irony to critique the state's ideology and the role of the artist in society. In the 1980s, he began exploring the relationship between language, power, and ideology through his artwork.

Stilinović's work has been exhibited extensively in Croatia and internationally, including at the Venice Biennale, Documenta in Kassel, Germany, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb. His most famous work is probably the series "Artist at Work," in which he photographed himself lying in bed, surrounded by books and newspapers, with the words "An Artist Who Cannot Speak English Is No Artist" written on the wall behind him.

Stilinović was also an active writer, curator, and organizer of art events. He co-founded the Podroom Gallery in Zagreb in 1978, which became an important platform for experimental art in Yugoslavia.