Based between Vienna and Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Mladen Bizumic is an artist who explores what happens when a system — visual, cultural, industrial, ecological, ideological — transforms.
Bizumic holds both, a BFA (Scholar) and an MFA (First Class Honours) from the University of Auckland’s Elam School of Fine Arts, and a PhD (Art Theory and Cultural Studies) from the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, supervised by Diedrich Diederichsen and Stephen Zepke.
Bizumic’s exhibitions include the KCB – Cultural Centre of Belgrade (2025); 60th Venice Biennale (2024); Lombardi–Kargl, Vienna (2023); Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota (2022); MUMOK – the Museum of Modern Art, Vienna (2021); Artspace Aotearoa, Auckland (2020); Vienna Biennial, MAK – the Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna (2019); Camera Austria, Graz (2019); Salon of the MOCA, Belgrade (2018); Art Basel (2017); MOSTYN, Wales (2017); Leopold Museum, Vienna (2017); Zacheta – the National Gallery of Art, Warsaw (2017); George Eastman Museum, Rochester, New York (2016); FRAC Pays de la Loire, Nantes (2016); Sies + Höke, Düsseldorf (2016); Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth (2015); Fotogalleriet, Oslo (2014); Auckland Art Gallery, Auckland (2014); galerie frank elbaz, Paris (2014); Kunstmuseum, Thun (2013); KM – Halle für Kunst & Medien, Graz (2013); Adam Art Gallery, Victoria University of Wellington (2013); Neuer Kunstverein Wien, Vienna (2012); Kopfbau, Basel (2011); Fondation d'Entreprise Ricard, Paris (2010); Heidelberger Kunstverein, Heidelberg (2009); Le Ferme du Buisson, Paris (2008); 41st steirischer herbst festival, Universalmuseum Joanneum, Graz (2008); 9th Lyon Biennial, MOCA, Lyon (2007); Te Papa – The Museum of New Zealand, Wellington (2007); 10th Istanbul Biennial (2007); PROGRAM, Berlin (2007); Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin (2007); 2nd Moscow Biennale (2007); CAC – Contemporary Art Centre, Vilnius (2006); 5th Busan Biennial, Metropolitan Art Museum, Busan (2006); Institute of Contemporary Arts, Perth (2006); the City Gallery, Wellington (2005); Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth (2004); Gus Fisher Gallery, University of Auckland (2002), Sue Crockford Gallery, Auckland (2002), among many others.
Bizumic’s artwork has been collected by public museums and notable collections including MUMOK – the Museum of Modern Art, Vienna; MAK – the Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna; George Eastman Museum, Rochester, New York; Te Papa Tongarewa – Museum of New Zealand, Wellington; Govett Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth; Chartwell Collection – Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki; University of Auckland Art Collection; Victoria University Art Collection, Wellington; FRAC Pays de la Loire, Nantes; Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, Florida; October Salon Collection, Belgrade; MUSA – Museum of the City of Vienna; Fotosammlung des Bundes – Museum of Modern Art, Salzburg.
Bizumic is a recipient of many awards, grants, residencies, and fellowships, including Art Sonje Center & Space for Contemporary Art Residency, Seoul (2027); Artist Publication Grant, Austrian Federal Chancellery (2025, 2023); State Fellowship for Art Photography, Austrian Federal Chancellery (2022); London Residency, Austrian Federal Chancellery & Austrian Cultural Forum (2020); Shpilman International Prize for Excellence in Photography nomination (2018); New Work Grant, Creative New Zealand (2005, 2009, 2017); Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize nomination, The Photographers’ Gallery, London (2015); Artist-in-Residence, Two Rooms Gallery, Auckland (2007); Artist-in-Residence, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin (2006–2007); Frances Hodgkins Fellowship, University of Otago, Dunedin (2004); Artist-in-Residence, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery (2003); Fowlds Memorial Prize for most distinguished student, University of Auckland Faculty of Architecture, Property, Planning & Fine Arts (2000).
Bizumic has lectured at art institutions including the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna; Art University Linz; Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade; Camera Austria, Graz; Art History Department, University of Auckland; Auckland University of Technology; School of Art, Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin; Victoria University of Wellington; Massey University, Wellington; The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art – the State University of Florida.
The artwork of Bizumic has been written about in Artforum, Frieze, Camera Austria, Parnass, Springerin, Eikon, the New Zealand Herald, the NZ Listener, Slanted, Die Presse, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and Le Monde. Bizumic's own writing has been published by TEXTE ZUR KUNST, Berlin.