"Man made chickens successful through diversity, now we can learn from them." Koen Vanmechelen
Koen Vanmechelen launched his Cosmopolitan Chicken Project (CCP) during the late nineties. Central to this art project is a chicken crossbreeding project. More specifically, the artist interbreeds domestic chickens from different countries aiming at the creation of true cosmopolitan chicken as a symbol for global diversity.
The project occupies a unique place in art history and gained fast international recognition. It positions art categorically in the middle of society: between people, and always committed. Vanmechelen is using a diverse range of media to translate the core idea of the CCP to our society, from very expressive paintings and drawings, to photography, video, glassware, performances and sculpture. The unifying theme is the chicken and the egg, symbols that link scientific, political, philosophical and ethical issues.
Cosmopolitan chicken project worldwide
Cosmopolitan chicken project photo gallery
Cosmopolitan chicken project news
Koen Vanmechelen currently in New York for the Glasstress expo at MADMuseum
Koen Vanmechelen is currently in New York for the build up of the new Glasstress expo at the Museum of Modern Art and Design in New York. An extraordinary international gathering of glass sculpture create in Murano at the studio of Adriano Berengo. Artists featured in the exhibition include Jan Fabre, Michael Joo, Jaime Hayon, Patricia Urquiola, Tony Oursler and Koen Vanmechelen.
More info about the expo on the MADmuseum website.
Koen Vanmechelen moderator of TED@canvas
- The Belgian TV channel CANVAS invited Koen Vanmechelen to moderate the TED@canvas special about creativity and innovation. For this occasion, the artist selected three of his favorite talks and shares them with the audience.
TED@canvas
01.11, 23u30, Canvas
Watch the trailer online.
'Virtual Reality' - C.C.P. expo at KULAK
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - campus Kortrijk (KULAK), invites artist Koen Vanmechelen to present an installation that focusses on his
longterm collaboration with different scientist. In the expo 'Virtual Reality', the visitor is a.o. confronted with the latest generation of Cosmopolitan Chicken Project; the Mechelse Fayoumi, photo works and the 'Virtual Fighter'.
Lecture - calendar updated.
Want to hear Koen Vanmechelen speak about his Cosmopolitan Chicken Project, the Open University of Diversity or the Cosmogolem; have a look at the calendar space because there are a lot of lectures coming up; http://www.koenvanmechelen.be/agenda/lectures
For other articles, go to archive
Cosmopolitan chicken project agenda
Born in Venice - Open University of Diversity a contemporary manifestation on the borderline of art and science Istituto Veneto di Scienze Letter...
The installation ‘Breaking the Cage’ presents three of the four bird species that make out the pheasant family, the genus Gallus. The animals...
Tussen 23 april en 23 mei toont MediaRuimte het werk van Koen Vanmechelen. Onder de titel 'Cosmopolitan Chicken Project_In-vetro' brengt deze kun...
Carried by Generations Een nest transparante eieren rust in de duinen. Een ei-land van gesculpteerd licht. Het nest ademt zeebries, zand en licht...
The location is found, the date determined, the egg stops and is ready to hatch… For Artzuid 2011, leading writer and artist Jan Cremer will pre...
Un autre monde ∣ J.J. Grandville Musée provincial Félicien Rops 25.06.2011 - 11.09.2011
Creativity World Forum is a two day congres with workshops and inspiring speakers like a.o. Jimmy Wales (founder wikipedia), Malcolm Gladwell, Sc...
The exhibition Glasstress Stockholm presents works by internationally renowned painters, sculptors and installation artists. From different points...
Group exhibition curated by Chiara Casarin during the 54. Biennale d'art di Venezia at Fondazione Querini Stampalia (Venice, Italy). ...
From 10.09.2011 to 13.11.2011, the museum of contemporary art Leipzig presents Scenario 1 'scenarios about Europe'. The series of exhibitions 'Scenarios about Europe', in three parts, focuses on questions of a possible European community and what would actually be required to determine it. The curators come from various disciplinary backgrounds and different cultural contexts. They have been invited to develop several scenarios in Leipzig.
Curator Filip Luyckx has chosen a.o. Koen Vanmechelen who will present his installation 'Genetic Freedom'.
'Genetic Freedom' - 'Scenarios about Europe'
10.09.2011 > 13.11.2011, gFzk, Leipzig (DE)
More info
The Guangdong museum of Art (Guangzhou, China) selected belgian artist Koen Vanmechelen as central artist in their 'Inauguration Exhibition of the Fourth Guangzhou Triennial' titled 'Back to Basics - The Museum Per Se'. For this expo, the artist created an site-specific installation called 'Modified Spaces'. An installation about the balance between nature and humans and about transformation.
'Modified Spaces'
Koen Vanmechelen
Curator: Peter Noever
Guangzhou Triennial
Guangdong Museum of Art (CN)
Beeldend kunstenaars Koen Vanmechelen, Joris De Geest en Zjos Meyvis werken vanuit een groot ecologisch bewustzijn. In hun artistiek oeuvre benaderen ze...
The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, which is the holder of limited collections of history, joins a historical , actual and global dialogue thr...
Group expo with work of a.o. Koen Vanmechelen, Nilton Cunha, Luiz Braga and anthropologists Patrick Berben and Martine De Roeck.
Location: De Mijlpaal, Heusden - Zolder (Be)
Lecture at the Guangdong Museum of Art. Koen Vanmechelen will discuss his 'Cosmopolitan Chicken Project' with the audience and present his site-specific installation 'Modified spaces' for the 4th triennial of Guangzhou.
Group expo at "Het Glazen huis", Lommel (BE) with a.o. work of Koen Vanmechelen entitled 'Fire'.
JCI presents an Expert Day based on the Blue economy, Green Energy and Corporate Social Responsibility.
The world is constantly changing. That is, of course, inevitable. Yet we cannot simply remain static. We need to follow these changes carefully and even put ourselves ahead of them. We can all do something to make the ongoing transition positive. The aim of this Expert Day is to provide examples of how to ensure the change is positive and to bring out the strengths we are all capable of. Our goal is to give every attendee the inspiration to think creatively and to act innovatively within their own personal and professional environment.
In ‘Genetic Freedom’, a camera obscura into the past, the species is caged (protected) and is living in his ‘natural surrounding’ as opposed to the cultural landscape of the park, the man-sculpted world its children are residing in. As such this ‘ur-animal’ makes the connection from the inside to the outside. Is the Red Jungle fowl a genetic cul-de-sac? Do we need to keep it in reservations, zoos and our memory as living proof of evolution? Must we save its genetic material for the future, or do we let nature take its course? Manipulation by homo sapiens transformed it into the successful genetic bundle of genes it is. But without the initial mutation, that urged it out of the jungle into the world, this would not have happened.
Mutation is as important as manipulation, maybe more so.
The same principle applies to culture: without the manipulation of discoveries made by ancient Asian societies, the West would not have achieved what it has today. But it is the initial Asian cultural mutation that was fundamental and crucial. As species do, cultures shape each other.
The rest of the installation shows the essence of Koen Vanmechelens epic artistic quest in the ‘inside’. The wall presents the results of 14 ‘crossings’ or the interbreeding of different national chicken species. ‘Illuminated’ as they are by a string of breeding lamps. They direct the gaze of the visitor to a side wall, where an egg is visibly breaking. Manipulation never is without risks. The egg hides a mysterious entity, whose essence is still hidden for us. Possibly positive, but maybe destructive. Genes never listen. Its freedom can mean rapture or capture.
The PechaKucha concept: each speaker has 6 minutes 40 sec. for a presentation in 20 images. Each image is on screen for only 20 seconds. No more, no less.20 images x 20 seconds each. Tempo, story, tension, show-and-tell.
PechaKucha Night Brussels Vol. 2020 Nov. 2011, at 20:20
We recommend that you arrive half an hour early.
Where
The Egg
Rue Bara, 175 - 1070 Brussels
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - campus Kortrijk (KULAK), invites artist Koen Vanmechelen to present an installation that focusses on his longterm collaboration with different scientist. In the expo 'Virtual Reality', the visitor is a.o. confronted with the latest generation of Cosmopolitan Chicken Project; the Mechelse Fayoumi, photo works and the 'Virtual Fighter'.
Groupexpo in the Sint-Bernardusabdij Bornem with works from a.o. Berlinde De Bruyckere, Sam Dillemans, Jan Fabre, Panamarenko, Arne Quinze and Luc Tuymans
curator: Jan Stalmans
