Based between Vienna and Aotearoa New Zealand, Mladen Bizumic’s artistic practice explores the socio-cultural uses of photographic production, distribution and consumption. Bizumic’s references range from the cultural context in South Pacific to the 20th century avant-garde experiments, from analog image-making processes to digital media. Bizumic’s installations seamlessly weave together these disparate references in order to rearrange the links between images and their contexts unpacking and questioning the politics of perception itself.
Furthermore, in his exhibitions, Bizumic sets up installations that are always artworks plus their x value. The x value stands for many contextual factors that constitute any exhibition (location, architecture, duration, institutional politics, etc.). There is a constant tension between the works and their display, the content and the context. Bizumic's practice is not about choosing one or the other but about the ongoing, precise and playful change of attention values. This fills space with time, opens up potentialities and creates new points of experience.
Bizumic holds an MFA (1st Class Hons.) in Fine Arts from the University of Auckland’s Elam School of Fine Arts and a PhD in Cultural Studies (Distinction) from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Bizumic has presented his work in solo and group exhibitions at Georg Kargl Fine Arts, Vienna (2023); Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, Florida (2022); MUMOK – Museum of Modern Art, Vienna (2021); Artspace Aotearoa, Auckland (2020); Vienna Biennial, MAK – Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna (2019); Camera Austria, Graz (2019); Salon of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade (2018); MOSTYN, Wales (2017); Leopold Museum, Vienna (2017); Zacheta – 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); Künstlerhaus Halle für Kunst & Medien, Graz (2013); Adam Art Gallery, Victoria University of Wellington (2013); Fei Contemporary Art Centre, Shanghai (2012); Neuer Kunstverein Wien, Vienna (2012); Kopfbau, Basel (2011); Fondation d'Entreprise Ricard, Paris (2010); Heidelberger Kunstverein, Heidelberg (2009); Le Ferme du Buisson, Paris (2008); steirischer herbst festival, Universalmuseum Joanneum, Graz (2008); Lyon Biennial, Museum Of Contemporary Art, Lyon (2007); Te Papa – Museum of New Zealand, Wellington (2007); Istanbul Biennial (2007); Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin (2007); Moscow Biennale (2007); CAC, Vilnius (2006); Busan Biennial, Metropolitan Art Museum, Busan (2006); Institute of Contemporary Arts, Perth (2006); City Gallery, Wellington (2005); Chelsea Art Museum, New York (2004), and numerous other venues.
Bizumic’s work has been collected by the public museums including, MUMOK –Museum of Modern Art Vienna; MAK – Museum of Applied Arts and Contemporary Art, Vienna; George Eastman Museum, Rochester, New York; Te Papa Tongarewa – the Museum of New Zealand Wellington; Victoria University Art Collection, Wellington; FRAC Fonds Regional d'Art Contemporain, Pays de la Loire, Nantes; Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, Florida; Govett Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth; Chartwell Collection – Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, University of Auckland Art Collection; Hocken Collections – University of Otago, Dunedin; October Salon Collection, Belgrade; Fotosammlung des Bundes – Museum der Moderne, Salzburg.
Bizumic has been awarded and nominated for numerous prizes, grants and fellowships including, the Fellowship for Art Photography of the Federal Chancellery of Austria (2022); Visual Art Residency of the Federal Chancellery of Austria and the Austrian Cultural Forum in London (2020); Shpilman International Prize for Excellence in Photography (nomination), Israel Museum, Jerusalem (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); CNZ 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 as the most distinguished student in the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Architecture, Property, Planning & Fine Arts (2000).
Bizumic has given lectures at art institutions including the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna; Art University Linz; Salon of Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade; Camera Austria, Graz; Art History Department, University of Auckland; Auckland University of Technology; School of Art, Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin; Adam Art Gallery, Victoria University of Wellington; Massey University, Wellington. The artwork of Bizumic has been written about in Artforum, Frieze, Camera Austria, Die Welt, Parnass, Springerin, the New Zealand Herald, the NZ Listener, Slanted, Die Presse, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and Le Monde.
Bizumic's writing has been published by TEXTE ZUR KUNST, Berlin.