Mechelse Owlbeard, 2004

Koen Vanmechelens' work centers around biodiversity and identity, with his most famous piece work being the Cosmopolitan Chicken Project. He uses multiple artistic tools in his work depending on the type of project and it is his unique attitude to art which has given him so much fame. Vanmechelen has worked with a range of different art mediums and tools in his work, from painting to sculpture to video and everything in between. Originally starting out as an assemblage artist, creating wooden structures and bird cages, he continued to evolve and grow as an artist. From there he transformed into a conceptual artist, and finally an interdisciplinary artist. He continues to use science and birds in his work because he is attempting to connect humanity and ideas together. Vanmechelen's art allows him to be right in the centre of society as he continues to engage with people. While his work continues to take on many different shapes and forms, Koen Vanmechelen continues to involve the ideas of science in his work so that he may challenge his viewers. (Artist website)