On September 14th our PhD candidate Karin Lillevold participated in a panel conversation about The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project by artist Koen Vanmechelen at the University Museum in Bergen. This conversation brought together Belgian artist Koen Vanmechelen, paleontology professor Hanneke Meijer, and anthropologist Karin Lillevold from the University of Bergen. The conversation was moderated by Gitte Sætre, debate editor at Kunsthall 3,14, where the exhibition (and live chickens!) are on view until December this year. In The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project Vanmechelen crossbreeds chicken species from around the world to create a “cosmopolitan chicken” that carries the genes of all chicken breeds on the planet to challenge monoculture and boost resilience and diversity.
The conversation explored how art can challenge and enrich our understanding of biological and cultural diversity, how we can understand human-animal relationships in the light of this project, and how it illuminates paradoxes in the Anthropocene. More information about the project can be found on Kunsthall 3,14’s home page
Photos: Borgel Greenaway (panel debate close-up) and Heidi Kukkonen (museum photos)
