Koen Vanmechelen was one of the foremost artists at the twelfth Havana Biennial, set to run from 22 May through 22 June 2015. Under the header of ‘Between the Idea and Experience’, director Jorge Fernandez transforms the city. Vanmechelen's multidisciplinary project hinges on two legs. At the Universidad de la Habana, he introduces the Cubalaya chicken, a cross between Asian and European breeds that was once the pride of Cuba, but has not been seen on the island for decades. Vanmechelen rescued the bird from oblivion for his Cosmopolitan Chicken cross-breeding Project, and gifted his Cubalaya Centre to the Cuban people at the Biennial. In addition, Vanmechelen demonstrates the importance of art in the cross-pollination of scientists and thinkers in his in-situ Arena de Evolución – Library of Collected Knowledge installation. The artistic-scientific Arena de Evolución project is the pinnacle of previous arenas in Tanzania, Belgium and the UK. The knowledge gathered at these arenas is presented as part of the interactive L.O.C.K. (Library of Collected Knowledge) library.
More information on lock.koenvanmechelen.be
