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Štefan Papčo

Born in 1983 in Ruzomberok, Slovakia. Lives and works in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Stefan Papco’s sculptural practice is intimately connected to mountaineering, which he has been practicing for many years. He is an experienced climber, and his direct knowledge of climbing as mental and physical discipline, body language, and choreography, constitutes an integral part of his work.

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Climbing is not about visual paradigms; it is performative and deeply grounded in the body, movement, and gravity and the sculptural objects Papco creates introduce his stark experience and the vocabulary of mountaineering into art. Entangled with the mountains’ environment and their ecology, Papčo’s practice also revisits the history of alpinism and its ambiguous status within discussion on modernity.

Officially “invented” in 1760, alpinism went hand in hand with the logic of colonisation and conquest of the summits. At the same time, it was embracing an anti-technological stance and engaging into an early promotion of the nature conservation. Štefan Papčo’s work is situated in the latter approach, embracing the ethics of fair play between the body and the Nature. He takes a non-technological and non-mediated view of the human–Nature relationship, based on solidarity rather then domination.

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Curriculum Vitae
Portfolio

Gallery Contact

Camille Bréchignac
c.brechignac@galeriepoggi.com

Works

Exhibition view, "The First Stone" at Galerie Poggi, Paris, 2023 © Aurélien Mole

Exhibition view, "The First Stone" at Galerie Poggi, Paris, 2023

© Aurélien Mole

Stefan Papco, Ontsteking (BE), 2023, Exhibition view, "Ravel Ravel"

Stefan Papco, Ontsteking (BE), 2023

Exhibition view, "Ravel Ravel"

Stefan Papco, Ontsteking (BE), 2023, Exhibition view, "Ravel Ravel"

Stefan Papco, Ontsteking (BE), 2023

Exhibition view, "Ravel Ravel"

Štefan Papčo, Earth as Bodily Matter, Galerie Poggi, Paris, 2022, Exhibition view, © CLAD / THE FARM

Štefan Papčo, Earth as Bodily Matter, Galerie Poggi, Paris, 2022

Exhibition view, © CLAD / THE FARM

Štefan Papčo, Andrej, Dolomites, Ongoing, wood

Štefan Papčo, Andrej, Dolomites

Ongoing, wood

Štefan Papčo, Andrej, Dolomites, Ongoing, wood

Štefan Papčo, Andrej, Dolomites

Ongoing, wood

Štefan Papčo, Earth as Bodily Matter, Galerie Poggi, Paris, 2022, Exhibition view, © CLAD / THE FARM

Štefan Papčo, Earth as Bodily Matter, Galerie Poggi, Paris, 2022

Exhibition view, © CLAD / THE FARM

Štefan Papčo, Earth as Bodily Matter, Galerie Poggi, Paris, 2022

Štefan Papčo, Earth as Bodily Matter, Galerie Poggi, Paris, 2022

Exhibition view, © CLAD / THE FARM

Štefan Papčo, Anorak I, Absolut series, 2017, Wood, 37 x 50 x 100 cm, edition of 3, courtesy of the artist and ZAHORIAN - VAN ESPEN

Štefan Papčo, Anorak I, Absolut series, 2017

Wood, 37 x 50 x 100 cm, edition of 3, courtesy of the artist and ZAHORIAN - VAN ESPEN

Štefan Papčo, Along the Right Edge of the Right Pillar, 2017, Iron, 187 x 65 x 71 cm, edition of 3

Štefan Papčo, Along the Right Edge of the Right Pillar, 2017

Iron, 187 x 65 x 71 cm, edition of 3

Štefan Papčo, Anorak II, 2017, Bronze, 27 x 90 x 100 cm, edition of 3, courtesy of the artist and ZAHORIAN - VAN ESPEN

Štefan Papčo, Anorak II, 2017

Bronze, 27 x 90 x 100 cm, edition of 3, courtesy of the artist and ZAHORIAN - VAN ESPEN

Štefan Papčo, Central Dihedral, 2014, Iron, silicone,130 x 130 x 70 cm, version of 3 plus 2 AP

Štefan Papčo, Central Dihedral, 2014

Iron, silicone,130 x 130 x 70 cm, version of 3 plus 2 AP

Štefan Papčo, North Pillar, 2014, Silicone, 130 x 40 x 25 cm, edition of 3 2 AP

Štefan Papčo, North Pillar, 2014

Silicone, 130 x 40 x 25 cm, edition of 3 2 AP

Štefan Papčo, Up the Middle of the Wall Cardinality, 2014, Silicone, 130 x 130 x 35 cm, version of 3 2 AP

Štefan Papčo, Up the Middle of the Wall Cardinality, 2014

Silicone, 130 x 130 x 35 cm, version of 3 2 AP

Štefan Papčo, Jaroslav_Citizens, 2018, Bronze, 101 x 97 x 85 cm, edition of 3, courtesy of the artist and ZAHORIAN - VAN ESPEN

Štefan Papčo, Jaroslav_Citizens, 2018

Bronze, 101 x 97 x 85 cm, edition of 3, courtesy of the artist and ZAHORIAN - VAN ESPEN

Štefan Papčo, Pietic, 2012, Wood, concrete, plywood, 160 x 40 x 65 cm, version of 3, Enquire

Štefan Papčo, Pietic, 2012

Wood, concrete, plywood, 160 x 40 x 65 cm, version of 3

Štefan Papčo, Earth as Bodily Matter, Galerie Poggi, Paris, 2022, Exhibition view, © CLAD / THE FARM

Štefan Papčo, Earth as Bodily Matter, Galerie Poggi, Paris, 2022

Exhibition view, © CLAD / THE FARM

Štefan Papčo, Earth as Bodily Matter, Galerie Poggi, Paris, 2022, Exhibition view, © CLAD / THE FARM

Štefan Papčo, Earth as Bodily Matter, Galerie Poggi, Paris, 2022

Exhibition view, © CLAD / THE FARM

Stefan Papco, In situ Installation view

Stefan Papco

In situ Installation view

Stefan Papco, Pavel Citizens, 2017, Ongoing, site specific installation, Switzerland, Print, Edition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs

Stefan Papco, Pavel Citizens, 2017

Ongoing, site specific installation, Switzerland, Print, Edition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs

Stefan Papco, Pavel Citizens, 2017, Ongoing, site specific installation, Switzerland, Print, Edition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs

Stefan Papco, Pavel Citizens, 2017

Ongoing, site specific installation, Switzerland, Print, Edition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs

Štefan Papčo, Earth as Bodily Matter, Galerie Poggi, Paris, 2022, Exhibition view, © CLAD / THE FARM

Štefan Papčo, Earth as Bodily Matter, Galerie Poggi, Paris, 2022

Exhibition view, © CLAD / THE FARM

Stefan Papco, Alena - Citizens, 2020, Ongoing, lime tree wood, 60 x 150 x 120 cm, unique

Stefan Papco, Alena - Citizens, 2020

Ongoing, lime tree wood, 60 x 150 x 120 cm, unique

Štefan Papčo, Through two slabs, 2014, Glass, resine, 43x65x48cm, edition of 3 2 AP

Štefan Papčo, Through two slabs, 2014

Glass, resine, 43x65x48cm, edition of 3 2 AP

Štefan Papčo, Through Two Slabs, 2017, Glass, fiberglass, 55 x 100 x 120 cm, edition of 3 2 AP

Štefan Papčo, Through Two Slabs, 2017

Glass, fiberglass, 55 x 100 x 120 cm, edition of 3 2 AP

Štefan Papčo, Earth as Bodily Matter, Galerie Poggi, Paris, 2022, Exhibition view, © CLAD / THE FARM

Štefan Papčo, Earth as Bodily Matter, Galerie Poggi, Paris, 2022

Exhibition view, © CLAD / THE FARM

Štefan Papčo, Where I Have Been Not. He Thought of Silence, 2021, Wood, larisa, clay, pine tree resin, limestone, in dialogue with time, sun, rain, snow, gravity and unknown, 172 x 37 x 41 cm, unique

Štefan Papčo, Where I Have Been Not. He Thought of Silence, 2021

Wood, larisa, clay, pine tree resin, limestone, in dialogue with time, sun, rain, snow, gravity and unknown, 172 x 37 x 41 cm, unique

Štefan Papčo, Where I Have Been Not. He Thought of Lightness, 2021, Wood, limestone, beeswax, wool, nest, -in dialogue with time, birds, gravity and unknown, 150 x 39 x 38, unique

Štefan Papčo, Where I Have Been Not. He Thought of Lightness, 2021

Wood, limestone, beeswax, wool, nest, -in dialogue with time, birds, gravity and unknown, 150 x 39 x 38, unique

Štefan Papčo, Where I Have Been Not. He Thought of Conectness, 2021, Limestone, plasticine, stone salt, marble, bird nest -in dialogue with time, deers, birds, gravity and unknown, 150 x 34 x 37 cm, unique

Štefan Papčo, Where I Have Been Not. He Thought of Conectness, 2021

Limestone, plasticine, stone salt, marble, bird nest -in dialogue with time, deers, birds, gravity and unknown-, 150 x 34 x 37 cm, unique

Štefan Papčo, Earth as Bodily Matter, Galerie Poggi, Paris, 2022, Exhibition view, © CLAD / THE FARM

Štefan Papčo, Earth as Bodily Matter, Galerie Poggi, Paris, 2022

Exhibition view, © CLAD / THE FARM

Štefan Papčo, Earth as Bodily Matter, Galerie Poggi, Paris, 2022, Exhibition view, © CLAD / THE FARM

Štefan Papčo, Earth as Bodily Matter, Galerie Poggi, Paris, 2022

Exhibition view, © CLAD / THE FARM

Štefan Papčo, West Face Cover, 2017, Found object, iron, 200 x 317 cm, Courtesy of the artist and ZAHORIAN - VAN ESPEN

Štefan Papčo, West Face Cover, 2017

Found object, iron, 200 x 317 cm, Courtesy of the artist and ZAHORIAN - VAN ESPEN

Štefan Papčo, Upstream by the Water, 2018, Eternit, 13 x 13 x 300 cm

Štefan Papčo, Upstream by the Water, 2018

Eternit, 13 x 13 x 300cm

Štefan Papčo, Upstream by the Water, detail

Štefan Papčo, Upstream by the Water, detail

Štefan Papčo, The Route of Hungers, 2012, Wood, 70 x 50 x 35 cm, edition of 3 2AP

Štefan Papčo, The Route of Hungers, 2012

Wood, 70 x 50 x 35 cm, edition of 3 2AP

Stefan Papco, Jaroslav_Citizens, 2018, Wood, 101 x 97 x 85 cm, unique, courtesy of the artist and ZAHORIAN - VAN ESPEN

Stefan Papco, Jaroslav_Citizens, 2018

Wood, 101 x 97 x 85 cm, unique, courtesy of the artist and ZAHORIAN - VAN ESPEN

Štefan Papčo, Superdirect, 2017, Iron, concrete, plaster, beeswax, pine tree resine, 300 x 27,5 x 27,5 cm, edition of 3 2 AP

Štefan Papčo, Superdirect, 2017

Iron, concrete, plaster, beeswax, pine tree resine, 300 x 27,5 x 27,5 cm, edition of 3 2 AP

Štefan Papčo, Broken Pillar - Broken Me, 2021, Installation, decomposed wood, steel, dimensions variable

Štefan Papčo, Broken Pillar - Broken Me, 2021

Installation, decomposed wood, steel, dimensions variable

Štefan Papčo, Direct, 2019, Drawing on the wall, dimensions adjustable

Štefan Papčo, Direct, 2019

Drawing on the wall, dimensions adjustable

Štefan Papčo, Bonekan Movement III Absolut series, 2019, Wood, steel, 280 x 110 x 110 cm, unique

Štefan Papčo, Bonekan Movement III Absolut series, 2019

Wood, steel, 280 x 110 x 110 cm, unique

Štefan Papčo, Anorak, Absolut series, 2017, Bronze, steel, 320 x 125 x 125 cm, edition of 3, 2 AP

Štefan Papčo, Anorak, Absolut series, 2017

Bronze, steel, 320 x 125 x 125 cm, edition of 3, 2 AP

Štefan Papčo, Along the Right Edge of the Huge Corner, 2014, Iron, silicone, 130 x 70 x 35 cm, version of 3

Štefan Papčo, Along the Right Edge of the Huge Corner, 2014

Iron, silicone, 130 x 70 x 35 cm, version of 3

Stefan Papco, Zuzana_Citizens, 2019, Wood, 91 x 60 x 145 cm

Stefan Papco, Zuzana_Citizens, 2019

Wood, 91 x 60 x 145 cm

News & Press

Exhibitions at the Gallery

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The First Stone

Group Show

October 13 - December 2, 2023

Ecce Homo

Group Show

02 Jul. – 13 Aug. 2022

Štefan Papčo, Earth As Bodily Matter

Group Show

5 Feb. - 12 Mar. 2022