

Artist Bio
Katarina Poljak (they/them) is a celebrated independent filmmaker and performance artist whose award-winning work has graced prestigious venues such as The Kimmel Center for Performing Arts and Vox Populi Gallery. Their works, often incorporating the body and contemporary dance performances, critique social traditions and technology. Poljak's performance-based films transport audiences to fantastical realms, blending retro-futurism, sculptural set-design, and intricate hand-made costumery. Influenced by collaborations with experimental film and performance artist Kathy Rose, Poljak is committed to creating work that navigates the intersection of past and future mass culture, challenging the unspoken boundaries shaping our social lives. A recipient of a BFA from the University of the Arts, where they studied both Dance and Film, Poljak earned the prestigious Shannon D. Moore major film award for their thesis film in 2019. Intrigued by humanity's trajectory into "posthumanism" and its framing by the idealized human body, their work evokes a sense of surrealist suspense, explores society's fascination with the spectacle of gore, and taps into the visceral nervous system of the grotesque. The incorporation of bizarre, macabre, and unsettling imagery and concepts in Poljak's work often elicits profound and visceral responses from viewers. Poljak's latest film, INCREDIBLE MACHINE GLASS BODY, garnered acclaim with selections and wins at various international film festivals in 2020. Other works include BODY: UNKNOWN, MOUNTAIN OF ONE, NOT A TOY, BLACKLIST, and TEST 087. Poljak is currently being commissioned to build an interdisciplinary installation and at MOA Philly a brand new arts space in Old City, Philadelphia set to open in early 2026. The installation will incorporate dance film, live performance, and sculptural components. They are simultaneously working to finish their debut feature film, a horror genre documentary.

BTS of Source Architecture
August 2023

BTS of Source Architecture
December 2022
Education
2014-2019
The University of the Arts
Bachelor of Fine Arts - Dance / Film
Exhibitions | Screenings
2018
"Number 11" Screening
The Kimmel Center for Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA
2018
"Red Room" Installation part of Tongue and Cheek Artist Showcase
Headlong Theater, Philadelphia PA
2019
"Body: Unknown" Live Performance Installation part of "Dreams and Delusions"
The Painted Bride Theater, Philadelphia PA
2021
"Mountain of One" Live Performance part of Mascher Cooperative's "Fresh Juice Showcase"
Headlong Theater, Philadelphia PA
2022
PhillyCam Live for TV performance of "Mountain of One"
Philadelphia, PA
2022
"Not a Toy" Live Performance part of "Come As Your Madness Fashion Show and Masquerade Ball"
Vox Populi Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2022
"Not a Toy" Encore Live Performance part of "Vox Populi's Boo Bash"
Vox Populi Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2023
"Blacklisted" Live Performance
Icebox Project Space, Philadelphia PA
2024
"Test 087" Live Performance
Icebox Project Space, Philadelphia PA
Upcoming
2021- ongoing
"SOURCE ARCHITECTURE" - SHORT FILM & INSTALLATION
Writer, Director, Editor, Producer
SUPPORTED BY
The Scribe Independent Media Fund
The Illuminate the Arts Grant
Ninth Planet
The University of the Arts
MOA Philly Residency/ Fellowship
2022- ongoing
UNTITLED PENNHURST FILM - FEATURE FILM
Co-Director, Producer
SUPPORTED BY