Karlo Čargonja 

(1987., Rijeka)

My fascination and engagement with photography started in high school. Even though educated and working for years as a civil engineer, my love for photography finally prevailed and since 2016 I have dedicated myself to it solely, a decision I still do not regret at all.

My photographic education is informal and constant, through numerous workshops and self-education. In 2014, I was chosen as one of the finalists in the international competition of Rovinj Photo Days and the same year I mentored, along with Saša Kralj and Dalibor Talajić, a multimedia workshop as part of the 6th edition of the International Photography Festival Organ Vida. I’ve been a member of the Creative Cluster KOMBINAT since its inception in 2014 and have launched Talks About Photography as one of its first and ongoing projects, now held monthly in the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rijeka. My photographs were exhibited as part of a group exhibition ART/WAR/TRANSITION in the same museum as well as in Kortil gallery in Rijeka.

In July 2020, I co-mentored a workshop on self-publishing zins as part of the programs of Živi Atelje DK (Living Atelier DK) and the Office for Photography in Zagreb. My solo exhibition, presenting drafts of my own book in the process of self-publishing, was an integral part of the workshop. Through a successful crowdfunding campaign, in October 2020, I self-published a print run of 100 four-part photobook While waiting.

In May 2021. I opened up a temporary gallery space in my hometown Rijeka. The doors were open to people interested in my photographic work, and I was present inside all the time to hang out with the visitors. The photographic exhibition was not the only thing that was happening in the gallery. There was a workshop about making a photobook, artist talk, tea ceremony, Talks about photography, music performance and panel about photography and art.