Photo by: Ivan Posavec
Darko Bavoljak (Zagreb, 1961). He completed his studies in cinematography at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb. During his student years, he was an active chronicler and participant in a number of key events that contributed to shaping Zagreb as an urban and liberal cultural environment. His work was published in Polet, Studentski list, Svijet, Start, and many other newspapers and magazines of the time, as well as in monographs, catalogues, books, and specialist publications. Trained as a cinematographer, he is a photographer by vocation, which represents the foundation of his artistic practice. Through close association and shared sensibilities with neo-avant-garde conceptual artists, he has created a number of notable photographic series and video works. His practice is marked by social engagement, particularly in relation to the culture of memory and the demystification of political autocracy. His works are held in private collections and in the collections of the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Zagreb, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rijeka, the Museum of Fine Arts in Split, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Osijek. He has also produced a number of films, including Stupid Antonio presents (2006), Goli otok (2012), Urbi et orbi (2013), and MMC (2020).
Solo exhibitions

• 2026 Portraits of the Artists 1990 – 1995, Josip Račić Gallery – National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
• 2025 Return, DkC Lamparna Galery, Labin
From Individual Projections to Collective Memory; Darko Bavoljak and Igor
Grubić to Marijan Crtalić
, DkC Lamparna Galery, Labin
• 2024 Portraits Branko Ružić, Gallery Ružić, Gallery of the city Slavonski Brod
• 2023 From Individual Projections to Collective Memory; Darko Bavoljak and Igor
Grubić to Marijan Crtalić,
Museum of contemporary art, Zagreb
• 2022 Return, Upstairs Gallery, Cultural information centre, Zagreb
• 2022 Future vs. Future, Spot Gallery – Office for photography, Zagreb
• 2021 Return, AK Gallery, Koprivnica
• 2021 From Individual Projections to Collective Memory; Darko Bavoljak and Igor
Grubić to Marijan Crtalić,
City Gallery Striegl, Sisak
• 2019 Display Windows, Magyar Műhely Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
• 2019 Display Windows, Museum of Fine Arts, Split
• 2019 Display Windows, Museum of Fine Arts, Osijek
• 2019 Display Windows, Jastrebarsko City Museum and City Gallery
• 2018 Focusing Out of Focus, Greta Gallery, Zagreb
• 2018 Display Windows, VB Gallery, Zagreb
• 2017 View, AŽ Gallery – Žitnjak Ateliers, Zagreb
• 2016 Dubrava, Dubrava Photo Gallery, Zagreb
• 2014 Travelling, Snapshot Cycle, Waldinger Gallery, Osijek
• 2014 Travelling, Snapshot Cycle, Klovićevi Dvori Gallery, Zagreb
• 2013 Distraint, Lamparna Gallery, Labin
• 2011 The Future 2011, K.U.N.S. Gallery O.K., Rijeka
• 2010 Reflections, K.U.N.S. Gallery O.K., Rijeka
• 2008 India with Ivan Kožarić, Lotrščak Tower, Zagreb
• 2007 India with Ivan Kožarić, MMC Gallery O.K., Rijeka
• 1998 Mljet, Luža Art Centre Gallery, Dubrovnik
• 1997 Mljet, MGC, Fortezza Gallery, Zagreb
• 1994 The Future, FOTODIFFUSIONE´94, Società Promotrice Delle Belle Arti,
Torino, Italy
• 1992 The Future, Cultural and Information Centre, Zagreb
• 1991 War Photographs, MGC Museum Space, Zagreb
• 1985 Photographs, Photo Club Gallery, Zagreb



Group exhibitions (selection)

• 2025. Art Zagreb, Oktogon NMMU, International art fair, 11–14 December
• 2024. Art Zagreb, HDLU, Meštrovićev paviljon, international art fair, 12–15 December
• 2024. Art Market Budapest, International Contemporary art fair, 17–20 October
• 2021 Environment of Memory – Art as Resistance to Repression, Otok Gallery, Dubrovnik
• 2021 From Guilds to Steel and Beyond, Križevci City Museum
• 2020 Art/War/Transition (1990 – 1991 – 2000 – 2010 – 2020 – 2021), MMSU, Rijeka
• 2020 In Search of Lost Space, Pula, Labin, Rovinj, Labin Art Express
• 2019 City Iconography II (1950-2000+) – Visions of the City, Modern Gallery, Zagreb
• 2018 11th T-HT@msu.hr, MSU, Zagreb
• 2017 Marina Viculin – Photographers, Mindset, Kranjčar Gallery, Zagreb
• 2016 Industrial Art Biennial, Labin
• 2015 From the Belly of the Giant, MMSU Rijeka
• 2014 Steelworks Festival, Sisak
• 2014 MaxArtFest, Zagreb
• 2014 MMC Days of Performance, MMSU Rijeka
• 2012 Patient Eye – Landscape Photography in the Collection of MMSU Rijeka
• 2012 Inner Ear - Exhibition from the Collections of MMSU Rijeka
• 2010 45th Zagreb Salon
• 1997 Croatian Photography, Zagreb
• 1996 30th Zagreb Salon
• 1994. Fotodiffusione' 94, Promotrice delle Belle Arti, Torino
• 1994 Rovinj Art Colony
• 1993 Croatian Photography from 1950 to Today, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
• 1992 War Lens, MGC Museum Space, Zagreb
• 1992 23rd Youth Salon, Zagreb
• 1990 22nd Youth Salon, Zagreb



Other

• 2023 Residence CITÉ INTERNATIONALE DES ARTS, Paris
• 2021 Environment Of Remembrance 2016/2018 Art Is Resistance To Repression, Otok Gallery and Red History Museum, Dubrovnik
Curators of the exhibition and exhibition setup Darko Bavoljak , Jasmina Bavoljak and Slaven Tolj
Artists participated: Damir Bartol Indoš and Tanja Vrvilo, Darko Bavoljak, Katija Bušlje, Marijan Crtalić, Boris Cvjetanović, Damir Čargonja Čarli, Tajči Čekada, Petar Dabac, Darko Fritz, Boris Greiner, Petar Grimani, Igor Grubić, Tea Hatadi, Đorđe Jandrić, Duje Jurić, Igor Kuduz, Jelena Lovrec, Milomir Kovačević Strašni, Siniša Labrović, Toni Meštrović, Davor Mezak, Kata Mijatović, Marijan Molnar, Ana Mušćet, Predrag Pavić, Zoran Pavelić, Vesna Pokas, Ivan Posavec, Jasenko Rasol, Frane Rogić, Marijana Stanić, Sandra Sterle, Sven Stilinović, Vlatko Vincek, Mirjana Vodopija, Borko Vukosav, Vlasta Žanić and Jakov Žaper.

• 2018-2020 Landscape of remembrance— Art as resistance to repression, and You betrayed the party when you should have helped it, Times of power, Rijeka 2020, European capital of culture, project manager

• 2018 Environment Of Remembrance 2016/2018 Art Is Resistance To Repression, Pogon Jedinstvo, Great Hall
Curators of the exhibition Darko Bavoljak and Marijana Stanić, exhibition setup Darko Bavoljak, Jasmina Bavoljak, Marijana Stanić.
Artists participated: Damir Bartol Indoš and Tanja Vrvilo, Darko Bavoljak, Katija Bušlje, Marijan Crtalić, Boris Cvjetanović, Damir Čargonja Čarli, Tajči Čekada, Petar Dabac, Darko Fritz, Boris Greiner, Petar Grimani, Igor Grubić, Tea Hatadi, Đorđe Jandrić, Duje Jurić, Igor Kuduz, Jelena Lovrec, Milomir Kovačević Strašni, Siniša Labrović, Toni Meštrović, Davor Mezak, Kata Mijatović, Marijan Molnar, Ana Mušćet, Predrag Pavić, Zoran Pavelić, Vesna Pokas, Ivan Posavec, Jasenko Rasol, Frane Rogić, Marijana Stanić, Sandra Sterle, Sven Stilinović, Vlatko Vincek, Mirjana Vodopija, , Borko Vukosav, Vlasta Žanić and Jakov Žaper.

• 2011 AUSSTELLUNG LAIBACH ART 1980 - 2011. CECI n'est pas Malevich, Centre of the Croatian Association of Visual Artists (HDLU), Zagreb, curator with Jasmina Bavoljak

• 2009 INTIMATENESS - exhibition cycle, (Ivan Kožarić, Tomislav Gotovac, Boris Demur, Vlasta Delimar and Vlasta Žanić), Klovićevi Dvori Gallery, curator with Jasmina Bavoljak, and produced interactive DVD catalogue

• 2008 Ex-centre - exhibition cycle, (Alfred Pal, Vladimir Dodig Trokut, Ivica Malčić, Nightmare Stage, Confessional), Josip Račić Gallery, Zagreb, curator with Jasmina Bavoljak



Film activity

• 2020 MMC, documentary, 22′ (producer, director, and cinematographer)
18th LIBURNIA FILM FESTIVAL, 2020, Opatija, OFF PROGRAMME, Summer Stage

• 2013 URBI ET ORBI, experimental, 3′ (producer, director, and cinematographer)
25th Days of Croatian Film, 2016, Zagreb, complementary programme “25 years of
the Days of Croatian Film”
22nd Days of Croatian Film, 2013, Zagreb

• 2012 BARE ISLAND, documentary, 52' (producer, director, cinematographer, and co-writer)
22nd Days of Croatian Film, 2013, Zagreb
10th Zagreb Film Festival, 2012, Zagreb

• 2006 STUPID ANTONIO PRESENTS, documentary, 72′ (writer, director,
producer, and cinematographer)
17th Days of Croatian Film, 2008, Zagreb
13th Split Film Festival, 2008, Split
Alternative Film/Video Festival, Belgrade, Serbia

• 1991 Lipovljani, Small Europe, documentary, 28′ (cinematographer), HRT Zagreb

• 1991 Živac and Avdo, documentary, 23′ (cinematographer), HRT Zagreb

• 1990 Unused, short feature, 30′ (cinematographer), TV Sarajevo

• 1990 It's Time for Humanity, documentary, 23′ (cinematographer), TV Sarajevo

Copyright © Darko Bavoljak 2026