Koen Vanmechelen is a Belgian contemporary conceptual artist, a versatile thinker, and an "eternal migrant". His practice and interdisciplinary projects invite collaboration and foster the creation of communities and awareness on a global scale. Together, they reflect on the global legacy of the human animal and explore the ways in which we choose to live and evolve together.
Vanmechelen gained international recognition with The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project, in which he crossbreeds national chicken species in search of a "cosmopolitan chicken" as a metaphor for cultural and genetic hybridity.
In collaboration with the city of Genk, he developed LABIOMISTA, an evolving landscape where art, science, and society intertwine. In 2010, Vanmechelen received an honorary doctorate from Hasselt University. In 2013, he was awarded the prestigious Golden Nica Hybrid Art Award (Linz) and the Global Artist's Award (Venice)