Mladen Penev is an artist based in Vienna where he studied Graphic Design and Advertising at the University of Applied Arts. He works professionally as a freelance art director, creative retoucher and photographer, with a focus on how digital manipulation can create a more dynamic and expressive form of image making. His practice is highly collaborative; often his involvement spanning from the initial phases of a campaign to its realization.
| 1980 | born in sofia / bulgaria |
| 1998 - 1999 | master class for graphic design at the art academy / sofia |
| 1999 - 2005 | master class for graphic & advertising prof. lürzer at the university of applied arts / vienna |
| 2005 | graduation at the university of applied arts / vienna master class for graphic & advertising prof. lürzer |
jobs / experience
| 2000 | internship at barci & partner, young & rubicam / vienna |
| 2001 | freelancer at ccp,heye / vienna |
| 2001 | photography internship at vienna paint / vienna |
| 2002 | freelancer at demner merlicek & bergmann / vienna |
| 2003 | freelancer at jung v. matt / vienna |
| 2004 | freelancer at mccann erickson / sofia |
| 2004 | freelancer at lürzer's int'l archive |
| 2005 - 2007 | retouching and photography at ROTFILTER / Vienna |
| 2006 - present | freelance art director and photographer |
| 2007 - present | freelance creative retoucher at staudinger + franke / vienna |
| 2005 - present | visual concepts, image creation and creative retouching |
exhibitions / shows
| 2004 | billboart gallery europe, 12 cities in europe |
| 2004 | kunst:relewandt, kunsthalle, mq / vienna |
| 2005 | the power of books is part of the collections of the university of applied arts / vienna |
| 2005 | the essence 2005, mak / vienna |
| 2005 | fake project art today association / plovdiv / bulgaria |
| 2006 | exhibition of the collections of the university of applied arts / vienna |
| 2006 | risk teritories, foto exhibition, plovdiv / bulgaria |
| 2006 | lange nacht der museen, mak / vienna |
| 2007 | photo exhibition, literaturhaus mattersburg / austria |
| 2010 | in the name of - thomas k. lang gallery / vienna |
| 2011 | transgressions - Eibank Gallery / Sofia |
| 2012 | Magnet And Antimagnet - Ata Center / ICA-Sofia - The Institute of Contemporary Art / Sofia |
| 2014 | The Dignity Of Man … - MUSA - Museum auf Abruf / Vienna |
| 2014 | The Dignity Of Man … - Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina / Sarajevo |
| 2014 | The Dignity of Man … - The Brno House of Arts / Brno |
| 2015 | Rabenmütter - Zwischen Kraft und Krise: Mütterbilder von 1900 bis heute - Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz / Linz |
awards
| 2004 | winner of golden bra award at magdalena festival / slovenia |
| 2004 | finalist at bilboart gallery europe |
| 2004 | nominated for the lürzer's archive International student of the year |
| 2005 | an award of distinction from the creativ club austria |
| 2019 | 5 awards from creative club austria |
publications
| 2004 | let u.s. play - featured in lürzer's archive |
| 2005 | tabula rasa in adbusters |
| 2005 | tabula rasa - adbusters spoof postcard |
| 2005 | Interview in 39 grama, art and culture magazine |
| 2005 | tabula rasa in page |
| 2006 | tabula rasa in adbusters dasign anarchy book |
| 2007 | illustrations for MALMOE 35, 36 and 38 |
| 2007 | caution Illegal border crossing in fields of transfer book |
| 2010 | domus 932, cover |
| 2013 | thoughts - freiräume, die presse 19.808 |
| 2014 | tabula rasa - cles 89 |
| 2014 | docma 59, artist presentation |
| 2019 | interview in photographize 41 |