Koen Vanmechelen (born August 26, 1965 in

Sint-Truiden Sint-Truiden (; french: link=no, Saint-Trond ; li, Sintruin ) is a city and municipality located in the province of Limburg, Flemish Region, Belgium, and has over 41,500 inhabitants, which makes it one of the largest cities in Limburg. The muni ...

) is a Belgian artist who began his career in the early 1990s. Central to his work is the concept of bio-cultural diversity, which he investigates through the domestic chicken and its ancestral species, the

red junglefowl The red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus'') is a tropical bird in the family Phasianidae. It ranges across much of Southeast Asia and parts of South Asia. It was formerly known as the Bankiva or Bankiva Fowl. It is the species that gave rise to the ...

or ''

Gallus gallus The red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus'') is a tropical bird in the family Phasianidae. It ranges across much of Southeast Asia and parts of South Asia. It was formerly known as the Bankiva or Bankiva Fowl. It is the species that gave rise to the ...

''. Vanmechelen began with his Cosmopolitan Chicken Project (CCP), an international undertaking of crossbreeding national chicken species, in search of a Cosmopolitan Chicken. His 20th generation, the Mechelse Wyandotte, was born in September 2016 in Detroit. Vanmechelen has several projects parallel to the CCP: The CosmoGolem, The Walking Egg, MOUTH, COMBAT and The Cosmopolitan Chicken Research Project (CC®P), all of which he manages from his Open University of Diversity, located in the old Gelatin Factory near

Hasselt Hasselt (, , ; la, Hasseletum, Hasselatum) is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital and largest city of the province of Limburg in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is known for its former branding as "the city of taste", as well as its ...

Harbour. The artist's work is an investigation of and an ode to the beautiful diversity and

hybridity Hybridity, in its most basic sense, refers to mixture. The term originates from biology and was subsequently employed in linguistics and in racial theory in the nineteenth century. Young, Robert. ''Colonial Desire: Hybridity in Theory, Culture and R ...

of life:

Biocultural diversity Biocultural diversity is defined by Luisa Maffi, co-founder and director of Terralingua, as "the diversity of life in all its manifestations: biological, cultural, and linguistic — which are interrelated (and possibly coevolved) within a comple ...

and the consequent interaction between art and science form the core theme of his oeuvre. Vanmechelen often collaborates with scientists and experts from different disciplines, such as Jean-Jacques Cassiman,

Rik Pinxten Rik Pinxten (born 12 March 1947 in Antwerp) is a professor and researcher in cultural anthropology at Ghent University. Between 2003 and 2010 he was chairman of the Liberal Humanist Association of Flanders, the Flemish section of The Humanist Ass ...

and

Marleen Temmerman Marleen Temmerman (born 24 March 1953 in Lokeren, Belgium) is a Belgian gynaecologist, professor and former Senator, currently heading the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health at Aga Khan University in Nairobi, Kenya. Biography T ...

. He uses innovative technologies such as 3D-scanning,

morphometrics Morphometrics (from Greek μορϕή ''morphe'', "shape, form", and -μετρία ''metria'', "measurement") or morphometry refers to the quantitative analysis of ''form'', a concept that encompasses size and shape. Morphometric analyses are co ...

, 3D-printing and interactive 3D visualisation. His works are inherently cross-medial and interdisciplinary. Vanmechelen creates, amongst others, expressive

painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...

s and

drawing Drawing is a form of visual art in which an artist uses instruments to mark paper or other two-dimensional surface. Drawing instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, various kinds of paints, inked brushes, colored pencils, crayons, ...

photography Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...

video Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syste ...

installation art Installation art is an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called ...

and wooden

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

s. The common visual theme throughout these various methods of expression are the

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...

and the

egg An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the a ...

. These have, over the years, become important symbols to Vanmechelen, allowing the artist to interconnect scientific, philosophical, and ethical issues, and to frame the subject of debates and lectures. A new species of

flat worm The flatworms, flat worms, Platyhelminthes, or platyhelminths (from the Greek πλατύ, ''platy'', meaning "flat" and ἕλμινς (root: ἑλμινθ-), ''helminth-'', meaning "worm") are a phylum of relatively simple bilaterian, unsegmen ...

discovered in

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

(It) during the artist solo exhibition Nato a Venezia at the biennial of Venice was in 2013 named Trigonostomum Vanmecheleni in honour of the artist.

Biography

Koen Vanmechelen, who lives in the Belgian town of

Meeuwen-Gruitrode Meeuwen-Gruitrode (; li, Miëve-Roj, ) is a former Municipalities of Belgium, municipality located in the Belgium, Belgian province of Limburg (Belgium), Limburg. In 2021, Meeuwen-Gruitrode had a total population of 13,117. The total area is 91. ...

, is professionally based in Hasselt. He is a self-taught artist who studied hotel management in

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

and worked several years as a cook and pastry chef in Belgian top restaurants. His father is an artist, his mother a fashion designer. Vanmechelen's interest in chickens and birds started at an early age, due to the trips he made with his uncle Louis Gonnissen, a Belgian ornithologist and television personality. At the age of five, he says in an interview, he already had a breeding coop in his bedroom. Conservators Jan Kenis,

Jan Hoet Knight Jan Hoet (; 23 June 1936 – 27 February 2014) was the Belgian founder of SMAK (''Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst'' or Municipal Museum for Contemporary Art) in Ghent, Belgium. Biography Jan Hoet was born in Leuven, Belgium. Throug ...

and illustrator Gregie de Maeyer launched him into the world of art in the early nineties. His first works consisted mainly of wooden constructions, assemblages and cages for birds. This aligns him with the Belgian tradition of

assemblage artists Assemblage may refer to: * Assemblage (art) * Assemblage (composition) * Assemblage (archaeology) * Assemblage (philosophy), a concept developed by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari * Faunal assemblage, floral assemblage, or fossil assemblage, in ...

. In the nineties, Vanmechelen quickly evolved into a

conceptual artist Conceptual art, also referred to as conceptualism, is art in which the concept(s) or idea(s) involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic, technical, and material concerns. Some works of conceptual art, sometimes called instal ...

and later on a multi-,

trans- Trans- is a Latin prefix meaning "across", "beyond", or "on the other side of". Used alone, trans may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Trans (festival), a former festival in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom * ''Trans'' (film ...

interdisciplinary Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several other fields like sociology, anthropology, psychology, ec ...

artist. During the late nineties, Vanmechelen launched his Cosmopolitan Chicken Project (CCP), which occupies a unique place in art history. It gave him fast national and international recognition in and outside the art world.

Foundations

Cosmopolitan Chicken Project

The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project (CCP) is an ongoing trans-disciplinary art project started in the late 1990s which aims to create a

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

of all races of chicken in the world. At the moment it has reached its eighteenth generation, a

crossbreed A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. ''Crossbreeding'', sometimes called "designer crossbreeding", is the process of breeding such an organism, While crossbreeding is used to main ...

ing between the Mechelse Styrian (the offspring of the sixteenth generation) and the Austrian Sulmtaler. The CCP is a commentary about

diversity Diversity, diversify, or diverse may refer to: Business *Diversity (business), the inclusion of people of different identities (ethnicity, gender, age) in the workforce *Diversity marketing, marketing communication targeting diverse customers * ...

, complexity and

immunity Immunity may refer to: Medicine * Immunity (medical), resistance of an organism to infection or disease * ''Immunity'' (journal), a scientific journal published by Cell Press Biology * Immune system Engineering * Radiofrequence immunity desc ...

. The breeding of a perfectly “cosmopolitan” chicken, carrying the genetic material of all possible races, is a metaphor for multicultural human society. According to Vanmechelen, humanity will only be able to thrive and stay “healthy” in a situation of maximized diversity, a notion reflected by the results of the repeated crossbreeding of races which had previously only been inbred: the offspring of the CCP have longer lifespans and higher fertility rates than the average domesticated chicken, as well as a more effective immune system, making them less liable to be stricken by disease. This intercultural approach has resulted in a chicken carrying traces of DNA from chicken races all over the world:

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

, the Netherlands, Germany, Mexico, Thailand, Brazil,

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, Senegal,

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, Slovenia and

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. The CCP has also spawned a plethora of drawings, paintings, sculptures and installations.

Cosmopolitan Chicken Research Project

The Cosmopolitan Chicken Research Project (CC®P) is the more scientifically oriented half of the CCP. In collaboration with esteemed Belgian human geneticist Jean-Jacques Cassiman, Vanmechelen researches the genetic make-up of the chicken races participating in the CCP. The database generated by this research has been said to be the most extensive one in Belgium. The results of the research have been presented in the form of virtual representations as well as 3D-printed sculptures. The piece ''Evolution of a Hybrid'' represents three chicken

chromosome A chromosome is a long DNA molecule with part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells the most important of these proteins are ...

s, two isolated from inbred, domesticated chickens, the third from a crossbreed: “Chromosomes are laid out in circles, connecting at one tip of the chromosome and wrapped in spherical shapes. The longest chromosomes (chromosomes 1 and 2) cross at the top of the sphere. The number of homozygous and heterozygous polymorphisms along the chromosomes are indicated by peaks pointing inwards and outwards, respectively. As a result, inbred chickens have relatively more peaks pointing inwards while crossbred chickens have more peaks pointing outwards.”

COMBAT/CMRM

COMBAT was a project commemorating the one hundredth anniversary of the start of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. It was an offshoot of parent project Coming World Remember Me (CWRM), a collaboration between Vanmechelen and Jan Moeyaert. The ultimate goal of CWRM was to produce 600,000 small clay statues, one for every soldier killed on Belgian soil during WW1, by the end of 2018, the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. The statues were made by the public, aided by international workshops. At the end of the project, they were all part of a land art installation near the Palingbeek in

Ypres Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality co ...

, former no man’s land. The temporary installation was finalized in April 2018 and covered a surface of several hectares.

Current projects

;Wooden Coin Wooden Coin is a project in collaboration with bpost, in support of SOS Children’s Villages. It consists of

oak tree An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably '' ...

planted in the center of a roundabout near the future location of the OpUnDi headquarters in Genk. Five twigs, each originating from a different species of oak and representing the five world continents, are grafted onto the tree. The roots have been adorned with pieces of 1 eurocent. The project was accompanied by a complementary charitative initiative, encouraging people to donate 1 euro to SOS Children’s Villages. All contributors received a certificate of donation signed by Vanmechelen. ;Arena de evolución Arena de evolución is a Cuban-based project featuring four “arenas”, places of learning and research regarding themes such as biological and cultural immunity, diversity, fertility and ethics. Each arena is co-chaired by Vanmechelen himself and an expert in the field concerned. The findings generated by the research conducted in the arenas will be collected in the LOCK (Library Of Collected Knowledge) and presented at the Havana Biennial. The project was kicked off with a symposium at the Open University of Diversity in Hasselt during which the core themes of the project were presented to the public by the scientific authorities involved. In September of this year, an international and interdisciplinary team of thinkers traveled to

Arusha, Tanzania Arusha City is a Tanzanian city and the regional capital of the Arusha Region, with a population of 416,442 plus 323,198 in the surrounding Arusha District Council (2012 census). Located below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the eastern bran ...

to set up the second arena and to be immersed in the culture of the native

Maasai Maasai may refer to: * Maasai people *Maasai language * Maasai mythology * MAASAI (band) See also * Masai (disambiguation) * Massai Massai (also known as: Masai, Massey, Massi, Mah–sii, Massa, Wasse, Wassil or by the nickname "Big Foot" Mas ...

. The views and opinions of the Maasai regarding nature, evolution, and the increasing influence of modernity on the natural world and environment form an integral part of the project.

Bibliography (selection)

*The Accident IV, Chronicle of The Cosmopolitan Chicken, Hasselt, 2013 *''COMBAT'', Cosmopolitan Chicken bvba - Koen Vanmechelen, Guy Pieters Editions and Lancommandery Alden Biesen, Bilzen, 2012 *''The Accident III'', Chronicles of The Cosmopolitan Chicken, Guangzhou 2011 *''The Accident II'', Chronicles of The Cosmopolitan Chicken, Hasselt 2010 *''The Chicken's Appeal'', Museum Het Valkhof, Nijmegen 2008 *''The Accident'', Het Glazen Huis, Lommel 2007 *''The Accident'', Chronicles of The Cosmopolitan Chicken, Verbeke Foundation, Kemzeke 2007 *''The Walking Egg/Born'', P. Dupont, Fertility Hospital, Genk 2005 *''The Cosmopolitan Chicken'', Virtual Mechelse Fighter, Deweert Art Gallery, Otegem 2005 *''Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', Barbara Simons & Wouter Keirse, Ludion *''Gent-Amsterdam'', De Brakke Grond, Amsterdam 2003 *''The Cosmopolitan Chicken'', Sex & Mortality, Deweer Art Gallery, Otegem, 2003 *''The Cosmopolitan Chicken'', Between Natural breeding and genetic engineering, Deweer Art Gallery, Otegem 2001

Expositions

Solo-exhibitions (selection) *2014 **''Beyond Reality'', Cosmopolitan Gallery, Genk (BE) **''In Captivity'', Genius Loci, Biennial of Venice (IT) **''Never Green'', Rurart art centre, Rouillé (Poitiers) (FR) **''Darwin's Dream'', St. Pancras Church, London (UK) *2013 **''Leaving Paradise'', CONNERSMITH., Washington (US) **''Handmade - C.C.P.'', LOMAK, Tessenderlo (BE) **''The Mechelse Styrian - 17th generation - C.C.P.'', Gallerija Kapelica,

Ljubljana Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center. During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...

(SI) **''Inception - C.C.P.'', Wasserman Projects, Detroit (US) *2012 **''COMBAT'', Landcommandery Alden Biesen, Bilzen (BE) and Art gallery De Mijlpaal, Heusden-Zolder (BE) **''Hotel de Inmigrantes 2 – Cosmopolitan Stranger (Collateral Event Manifesta 9)'', Open University of Diversity, Hasselt (BE) *2011 **''Nato a Venezia'', Collateral Event of 54th

Biennial Biennial means (an event) lasting for two years or occurring every two years. The related term biennium is used in reference to a period of two years. In particular, it can refer to: * Biennial plant, a plant which blooms in its second year and th ...

of Venice, Venice (IT) **''Breaking the Cage'', IKOB, Museum of Contemporary art Eupen, Eupen (BE) **''Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', Art Labor, Shanghai (CN) **''C.C.P. – In-vetro'', Mediaruimte,

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

(BE) **''King’s Crown – C.C.P.'', Absolute Art Gallery, Knokke (BE) *2010 **''14th Generation: Mechelse Silky'', Himalayas Center, Pudong Shanghai (CN) **''Cosmopolitan Chicken – Diversity'', Espace Européen pour la Sculpture, Parc Tournay-Solvay, Brussels (BE) *2009 **''Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', Conner Contemporary Art,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

DC (US) **''Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ,

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

(NL) **''Cosmopolitan Chicken Project - Orloff'', Deweer Art Gallery, Otegem (BE) **''Unicorn'', 53rd Venice Biennale, 2009, Venice (IT) **''Connection'', St. Lucas Gallery, Brussels (BE) *2008 **''Breaking the Cage – The art of Koen Vanmechelen'', Victoria and Albert Museum, Arts & Business, curator Mike Phillips,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

(GB) **''The Chicken’s Appeal'', Museum Valkenhof, curator Frank Van der Schoor, Nijmegen (NL) **''CCP Ten Generations'', Galerie k4,

München Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

(DE) *2007 **''CCP Ten Generations'', Deweer Art Gallery, Otegem (BE) **''CCP Au Salon, Marijke Schreurs Gallery'', Brussels (BE) **''The Accident'', Cornice, Venice Project, Venice (IT) *2006 **''The Accident'', curator

Agnes Husslein Agnes Husslein, also Agnes Husslein-Arco, (born 22 May 1954) is an Austrian art historian and art manager. Life Husslein was born the daughter of Felicitas (''née'' Boeckl) and Carl Heinrich Arco in Vienna (1920–1978).St. Riquier (FR) **''Cosmopolitan Chicken Project – Desire'', De Brakke Grond, Amsterdam (NL) **''Cosmopolitan Chicken Project – Mechelse Owlbeard'', GEM Den Haag /

KunstRAI KunstRAI is an annual art fair for modern and contemporary art held at the RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre in Amsterdam, Netherlands, every May. From 2006 to 2011 it was known as Art Amsterdam. The 2012 Art Amsterdam was to have been held at ...

, curator Wim Van Krimpen, Amsterdam (NL) **''Cosmopolitan Chicken Project - Second Generation: Mechelese Bresse - Sex & Mortality'', Deweer Art Gallery, Otegem (BE) **''Visible / Invisible'', Galerie Tapper,

Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal populat ...

(SE) *2002 **''Artificial Cross-breeding'', Berengo Fine Arts, Miami Art Fair (US) **''Who’s Calling'', Berengo Fine Arts, Mi Art, Milaan (IT) **''Smak, smak, The Mechelse Bresse'', S.M.A.K., curator Jan Hoet Junior, Ghent (BE) *2001 **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken'', Deweer Art Gallery, Otegem (BE) *2000 **''Performance Blood & Colours'', Filmfestival, Venice (IT) Group exhibitions (selection) *2013 **''Tabula Rasa - C.C.P.'', Belgian Embassy (curated by Z33), The Hague (NL) **''Protected Paradise'', Guy Pieters Gallery, Saint Paul de Vence (FR) **''Symbiosis - C.C.P.'', Museum de Mindere, Sint-Truiden (BE) **''Grale - C.C.P.'', Kortrijk Vlaandert, Kortrijk (BE) **''Cosmopolitan Fossil'', The Eggcord and In Transit - C.C.P., Kunstenfestival Watou (BE) **''De Wachtkamer'', Schatten van VLIEG, Kruidtuin Leuven (BE) **''Spawn - C.C.P.'', Murano >< Merano, Glasstress, MERANO ARTE (IT) **''Evolution of a Hybrid'', Pavilion 0, Palazzo Donà, Biennial of Venice (IT) **''Under my Skin and Patience - C.C.P.'', White light/White Heat, Glasstress, Biennial of Venice (IT) **''Inzicht and Coming World - C.C.P.'', Artzuid, Amsterdam (NL) **''(Re)source'', Modified Spaces, Beelden op de Berg, Wageningen (NL) **''Re-Cycling Birth'', O-Parade, Genk (BE) **''The exposition Vrouwenkuren'', Frantic – C.C.P., IPSOC and Dr. Ghislain, Kortrijk (BE) **''Studio Vera Vermeersch'', Tabula Rasa, CC Haselt, Hasselt (BE) **''Cultural Freedom in Europe'', Pedigree - C.C.P. and Hybridity in Art & Science – C.C.P., Goethe-institute,

Walloon Parliament The Parliament of Wallonia (french: Parlement de Wallonie) (Walloon Parliament (french: Parlement wallon) in the decrees) is the legislative body of Wallonia, one of the three self-governing regions of Belgium (the other two being Flanders and t ...

, Brussels (BE) **''Hybridity in Art and Science - C.C.P. and Symbiosis - C.C.P.'', Lieux Communs, Namur (BE) **''The Walking Egg'', Transformation, Garage Rotterdam, Rotterdam (NL) *2012 **''Hybridity in art and science – C.C.P.'', dOCUMENTA 13 (‘The Worldly House’), Kassel (DE) **''Instead of sleeping'',

Glasstress Glasstress is a recurring exhibition that brings together art by contemporary artists made with glass. Launched in 2009 as a collateral exhibition of the Venice Biennale of Arts by Adriano Berengo as a way of showcasing the works produced by Beren ...

Beirut, Beirut Exhibition Center, Beirut (LBN) **''Hotel de Inmigrantes – Cosmopolitan Stranger'', Open University of Diversity, Hasselt (Collateral event Manifesta 9) (BE) **''In Transit – C.C.P.'', ManifestAanwezig, Kasteel d’Aspremont-Lynden, Oud-Rekem (Collateral Event Manifesta 9) (BE) **''Without Time Frame'', Parallel Worlds, CIAP, Hasselt (Collateral Event Manifesta 9) (BE) **''Under Pressure – C.C.P.'', Leaving for a Living, ArtAndAdvice, Hasselt (Collateral Event Manifesta 9) (BE) **''Coming World – C.C.P.'', Kunstenfestival Watou, Watou (BE) **''Conservation – C.C.P.'', De Etende Mens, Designhuis Eindhoven,

Eindhoven Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,triennial An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saints. ...

of Guangzhou, Guangdong Museum of Art (CN) **''Genetic Freedom – C.C.P.'', Scenarios about Europe, GFZK, Leipzig (DE) **''Glasstress'', Venice Projects, Venice (IT), Oslo (NO) **''Sjamanism – C.C.P.'', Andermans Veren, Art Gallery De Mijlpaal, Heusden-Zolder (BE) *2010 **''Mediations Biënnale Beyond Mediations'', Tower of Babel, Poznań (PL) **''Schone Schijn'', Beeldende kunstmanifestatie, Heemskerk (NL) **''InGewikkeld'', Art Gallery De Mijlpaal, Clarissenklooster, Hasselt (BE) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project - Feed the world'', Wijheizijweihij, Vredeseilanden, Eliksem (BE) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project - Innovations and adaptation'', Dak’Art Biënnale, Dakar (SN) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken – Frozen Culture Balance'', Mediations, National Museum Warsaw, Warschau (PL) **''Art Amsterdam'', Amsterdam (NL) **''Art Paris'', Paris (FR) **''Arco Madrid'', Madrid (ES) **''The Armory Show'', New York (US) **''Parallellepipeda'',

M - Museum Leuven M, or m, is the thirteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''em'' (pronounced ), plural ''ems''. History Th ...

(BE) **''Figure it out?!'', China China, Ceramics, Art Gallery De Mijlpaal, Heusden-Zolder (BE) **''FADA Los Angeles Art Show 2010'', Los Angeles (US) **''Ant)arcticmatters'', Frozen Culture Balance, Verbeke Foundation, Kemzeke (BE) *2009 **''Lineart art fair 2009'', Blikvanger: Unicorn, Showcase; Figure it out, Ceramics; China China, Flanders Expo, Ghent (BE) **''PULSE Miami 2009'', The Cosmopolitan Chicken, Pulse (US)Contemporary Art Fair, The Ice Palace, Miami (US) **''Becoming Intense'', Becoming Animal, Becoming ..., Völkerkundemuseum von Portheim-Stiftung, Heidelberg (DE) **''In Bed Together'', Breaking the Cage, Royal/T, curator Jane Glassman, Culver City (US) **''The Toronto International Art Fair 2009'', Toronto (CA) **''Against Exclusions'', The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project, Mechelse Orloff, 3rd Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, curator **''Jean-Hubert Martin'', Moskou (RU) **''Boer zoekt stijl'', Designhuis, Eindhoven (NL) **''Glasstress'', 53ste Biennial of Venice, Venice (IT) **''VOLTA Basel 2009'', Bazel (CH) **''CIGE 2009'', China International Gallery Exposition,

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

(CN) **''101 Tokyo Contemporary Art Fair 2009'', Tokyo (JP) **''Superstories'', 2de Triënnale Hasselt, curator Koos Flinterman, Hasselt (BE) *2008 **''Kort is de tijd en onherroepelijk'', Landgoed Groot Vijverburg, Tytsjerk (NL) **''Dat de verte nabijer dan ooit was'', Salvator Globe, curator Giacinto di Pietrantonio, St. Bavokerk, Watou (BE) **''Genesis: CCP 10 Generation'', Zentrum Paul Klee, curator Fabienne Eggelhöfer, Bern (CH) **''The Salvator Globe'', Art Brussels, Brussels (BE) **''The Cathedral – Ectoplasma – CCP'', Congress Centre, Davos (CH) **''Doing it my way'', MKM Museum Küppersmühle für Moderne Kunst, curator Lorenzo Benedetti, Duisburg (DE) **''Zerbrechliche Schönheit'', The Accident, museum Kunst Palest, curator Thijs Visser, Düsseldorf (DE) **''Ad Absurdum'', Mechelse Bresse,

MARTA Marta may refer to: People * Marta (given name), a feminine given name * Märta, a feminine given name * Marta (surname) :István Márta composer * Marta (footballer) (born 1986), Brazilian professional footballer Places * Marta (river), an ...

, curator

, Herford (DE) **''Die Hände der Kunst'', Koen Vanmechelen x Mechelse Koekoek, MARTA, curator Jan Hoet, Herford (DE) **''Ephermeral Fringes'', CCP Mechelse Cubalaya, curator Filip Luyckx, Art Brussels, Brussels (BE) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken: 10 Generations'', Mediations Biënnale, curators Yu Yeon Kim, Lorand Heg Yi, Gu Zhenqing, Poznań (PL) **''Betrekkelijk rustig'', Lab, Kasteel Rekem, curator Annemie Van Laethem, Rekem (BE) **''Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere'', CCP, curator Arno Vroonen, München (DE) *2007 **''Troubleyn / Laboratorium'', Ab Ovo, Antwerp (BE) **''Genesis - The Cosmopolitan Chicken'', Centraal Museum Utrecht, curator Emilie Gomart, Utrecht (NL) **''Totemisimi'',

Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; Ancient Greek: Μέδουσα "guardian, protectress"), also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those ...

, National Gallery of London, London (GB) **''De Kunstkas'', Bio, Verbeke Foundation, Kemzeke (BE) **''Some make – Some take'', Art Köln, Keulen (DE) *2006 **''Facing 1200° - Glass from the Berengo Collection'', Museum Moderner Kunst Kärnten, Klagenfurt (AT) **''DOTS'', curator Stef Vanbellingen, Sint-Niklaas (BE) **''Handle with care'', Pushkin Museum, Moskou (RU) **''Field Work met Hans Op de Beeck en Ricardo Brey'', curator Roel Arkesteijn, Kunstvereniging Diepenheim (NL) *2005 **''LAT'', Oda-Park, curator Marijke Cieraad, Venray (NL) **''Super!'', curator Edith Doove, Hasselt (BE) **''Slow Art - Neue Akzente aus Flandern und den Niederlanden'', Museum Kunst Palast, curator Thijs Visser, Düsseldorf (DE) **''Two Asias'', Two Europes, Duolun Museum of Modern Art, curator Gu Zhenqing, Shanghai (CN) *2004 **''Cultivando la Naturaleza'', Fundacion César Manrique, curator Bianca Visser, Lanzarote (ES) **''ECLIPS / 25th Birthday Deweer Art Gallery'', curator Jo Coucke, Transfo Zwevegem (BE) *2003 **''Le Coq, Musée Départementale de l’Abbeye de Saint-Riquier'', Picardie (FR) **''Beaufort 2003'', curator Willy Van den Bussche,

Blankenberge Blankenberge (; french: Blankenberghe; vls, Blanknberge) is a city and a municipality in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the town of Blankenberge proper and the settlement of Uitkerke. On 1 December 2014, Bla ...

(BE) **''Cinecittà'', Berengo Fine Arts, Filmfestival, Venice (IT) **''The Walking Egg'', Shinchu Museum, Taipei (TW) *2002 **''3 FEB 02'', Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, curator Edith Doove, Deurle (BE) **''Attitude'', Château du Pauly (FR) **''Cinecittà'', Berengo Fine Arts Filmfestival, Venice (IT) *2001 **''Secret Gardens'', curator Annemie Van Laethem, Rekem (BE) **''www.murano.be'', Venetiaanse Gaanderijen, Oostende (BE) **''Wir sind die ander(en)'', curator Jan Hoet, Herford (DE) *2000 **''The Walking Egg'', Arco 2000, Madrid (ES) **''Storm Centers'', curator Jan Hoet, Watou (BE) **''A Shot in the Head'', curator Jill Silverman, Lisson Gallery, London (GB)

Permanent works (selection)

*''Infinity - C.C.P.'', Sint-Trudo Hospital, 2013, Sint-Truiden (BE) *''The Cosmopolitan Chicken – Celestial body'', VOKA Kamer van Koophandel Limburg, 2010, Hasselt (BE) *''The Cosmopolitan Chicken – Time Temperature'', BioVille, Campus UHasselt, Biomedical Research Institute (BIOMED), 2010, Diepenbeek (BE) *''High-Breed'', The European Academy of Gynaecological Surgery, 2009, Leuven (BE) *''Troubleyn / Laboratorium'', Ab Ovo, 2007, Antwerp (BE) *''The Walking Egg – Born'', Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, 2005, Genk (BE)

Lectures/debates (selection)

*2013 **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', ISA (Instituto Superior de Arte), Havana (CU) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', CONNERSMITH, Washington (US) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', Galerija Kapelica, Ljubljana (SI) **''When happiness happens'', BOZAR (in cooperation with United Nations), Brussels (BE) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', University of Kortrijk, Kortrijk (BE) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', Community Center De Markthallen, Herk-De-Stad (BE) **''The Cosmogolem Foundation'', JOC De Kouter, Poperinge (BE) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', CIMIC, University of Mechelen, Mechelen (BE) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', Het Paleis, Antwerp (BE) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', EuropeN, European Economic and Social Committee, Brussels (BE) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', Cranbrook University, Detroit (US) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit(US) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', Museum of Contemporary Art, Detroit (US) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', Day for Cultural Education by the Flemish Government, Ghent (BE) *2012 **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', Tori Oso (SR) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', COMBAT Alden Biesen, Bilzen (BE) **''The Open University of Diversity'', Z33, Hasselt (BE) **''The Open University of Diversity'', TEDxYouth Flanders, Antwerp (BE) **''The Open University of Diversity'', Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing (CN) **''This is not a Chicken'', World Appreciative Inquiry Conference, Ghent (BE) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', Genetic Freedom, Europe (to the power of N), Berlin (DE) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', Bioethics Congress, Rotterdam (NL) **''The Walking egg, Unite for Sight Global Health & Innovation'', Yale University (US) **''Artist talk met Marcel Pinas'', VUB university, Brussels (BE) *2011 **''This is not a chicke''n, Galerie Für Zeit Genössische Kunst, Leipzig (DE) **''Modified Spaces –C.C.P.'', with Peter Noever, Guanzhou Museum of Art, Guangzhou (CN) **''In-Vetro – C.C.P.'', Symposium Transparent vision – the art and science of glass Kijkduin Biënnale (NL) **''The Open University of Diversity'', Creativity World Forum, Hasselt (BE) **''The Chicken’s Appeal'', Pecha kucha, Brussels (BE) *2010 **''The Chicken’s Appeal'', TedxFlanders, Antwerp (BE) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', European Conference On Computational Biology, Ghent (BE) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', Belgian pavilion World Expo, Shanghai (CN) **''Arts meets Science'', Doctor Honoris Causa, Faculty of Medicine UHasselt, Hasselt (BE) **''The Accident'', Debate with Professor J.-J. Cassiman, Dr. Mike Philips, Dr. Luc Vrielinck and Peter Adriaenssens, moderator: **''Indra Dewitte'', Museum M, Leuven (BE) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', PULSE New York (US) *2009 **''The Chicken’s Appeal'', 3rd Moscow Biennial of Contemporary Art, 2009, Moskou (RU) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', 53e Biennial di Venezia, Venice (IT) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project – Culture and Nature Balance Climat ChangeCongress'', 2009, Kopenhagen (DK) *2008 **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken'', Debate, World Economic Forum, Davos (CH) **''Day of Hope'', Cosmogolem, Jeanne Devos Fonds, Mumbai (IN) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', Victoria and Albert Museum, London (UK) **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', Creativity World Forum, Lotto Arena, Antwerp (BE) *2007 **''The Walking Egg'', Expert meeting Fertility in Developing Countries, Arusha (TA) *2005 **''CosmoGolem'', Child abuse: Neglecting the Facts, Leuven (BE) *2004 **''CosmoGolem en Cosmopolitan Chicken Project'', The Jacobs Foundation, Zurich (CH) *2002 **''The Cosmopolitan Chicken'', Natural History Museum, London (GB)

Publications (selection)

*Facts, Views & Vision, The Low Countries Journal of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Health. A scientific Journal of the Flemish Society of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, June 2009. *IVF in developing countries: an artist's view, Human Reproduction, An Oxford Journal, published by Oxford University Press, July 2008. Eshre Special Task Force on Developing Countries and Infertility.

Artistic-scientific projects

*''“CC®P”'', The Cosmopolitan Chicken Research Project; artistic, genetic project with Professor Jean-Jacques Cassiman with as aim to research the genetics of the chickens. *''“The Walking Egg”'', Art meets science, with fertilityspecialist Willem Ombelet and a team of scientists, journalists and ‘thinkers’. Publishes a magazine every four years ‘The Walking Egg’ and project ‘Born’ in the hospital ZOL, Genk (Belgium). *''“Frozen Culture”''; freezing of sperm of the cosmopolitan chicken with cooperation of Ivo Lambrichts (UHasselt), Dr. Luc Vrielinck and Jan Rutten. *''“The Golden Spur”'', chirurgical operation on rooster without spur where on the bone a new golden spur was attached, with dr Luc Vrielinck. *“Lambo”, contraction of ‘Lama, ‘Ovambo’ and ‘Labo’, a project that is looking for a new way of crossbreeding.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vanmechelen, Koen 1965 births Living people Belgian artists Belgian contemporary artists Flemish artists People from Sint-Truiden 20th-century Belgian people