In a remarkable convergence of contemporary art and cultural dialogue, artist Koen Vanmechelen will showcase his work at a private residence in Cape Town. The exhibition, entitled "Cosmopolitan Renaissance," will feature a selection of Vanmechelen's fundamental pieces that resonate with his overarching themes of identity, biocultural diversity, and the interconnectedness of humanity.
"Cosmopolitan Renaissance" is a reflection of Vanmechelen's commitment to fostering a dialogue about cultural plurality and the importance of embracing diversity in our global society. The exhibition invites visitors to engage with his thought-provoking installations and sculptures, which serve as a testament to the artist's belief in the power of art to transcend boundaries.
In Cosmopolitan Renaissance, renowned Belgian artist Koen Vanmechelen introduces four powerful heralds of transformation – modern-day counterparts to the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Yet, where those horsemen once symbolised destruction, Vanmechelen’s figures bring renewal, dialogue, and a new dawn for humanity and the planet. Through their stories, Vanmechelen explores themes of fertility, blindness, community, and healing, offering a vision of hope in a fractured world.
In Capetown, Vanmechelen invites us to explore the delicate balance between humanity, nature, and the interconnected future we must shape together. Through a selection of 14 powerful artworks, this exhibition weaves its four central themes into a dialogue between the global and the local, the past and the future.
At the heart of this exhibition lies the symbol of the egg.
In Under Pressure, a glass cube houses fragile glass eggs alongside a marble counterpart, reflecting almost unmeasurable proportions. The egg speaks to fertility, potential, and the very origins of life. The transparent eggs also directly link to Vanmechelen’s Cosmopolitan Chicken Project, his groundbreaking exploration of genetic diversity through the global crossbreeding of chickens – a living testament to evolution, resilience, and renewal. Reason why the chicken is also the central point in the mixed media painting.
Works like Crossbreeding (a marble turtle with egg as a head), Uncomfortable (a blindfolded child), and The Eggcord (glass eggs suspended on steel cables) question what we have taken from nature – its resources, beauty, and balance. The blind child becomes a haunting metaphor: we have blinded ourselves to flora, fauna, and all that lives. We fail to see the splendour of nature and the destruction we inflict upon it. Yet, there is also a call to action: to acknowledge our responsibility, to return what has been taken, and to restore balance – ensuring a sustainable future.
A solution emerges through community. Vanmechelen’s Osotwa Project, inspired by his encounter with the Maasai culture, symbolises connection, survival, and heritage. The bull, gifted to communities in Kenya and Tanzania, becomes a living thread connecting people across generations. It reflects a “new time” – a merging of the global and the local, where communities rediscover strength through collaboration, shared rituals, and ancient wisdom.
The final herald of transformation is healing, embodied in the figure of Medusa. In works such as the marble Medusa bust, collages, and photos, Medusa is no longer the monster of myth but a healer. Reimagined as a statement of strength and renewal, she becomes a powerful representation of women’s roles in contemporary society. Medusa symbolises transformation and rebirth, offering compassion and balance in a world yearning for restoration.
Cosmopolitan Renaissance serves as a call to action. It is an artistic exploration of fertility, community, healing, and the urgent need to confront our collective blindness. Through works like Under My Skin (portrait of social entrepreneur Chido Govera, and the artist’s wife), Vanmechelen connects the threads of thought, culture, and history that span continents and generations. Golden Cord, a phantasmagorical animal with golden horn reminds us that this antenna is vital, a connection that stretches outwards, to find the other.
This exhibition heralds a “new time” where art becomes a catalyst for change. It challenges us to rethink what we create, take, and owe to the world around us. Cosmopolitan Renaissance celebrates possibility – a fertile ground for transformation, dialogue, and evolution.
Change is the new normal. The world is rapidly transforming, and so is the artist. He has to. The Spiritus Mundi is transformed. A Cosmopolitan Renaissance is at hand, but only if we make the combination again between imagination and knowledge — Koen Vanmechelen
Exhibition facts
Cosmopolitan Renaissance
Hout Bay
Capetown
Zuid-Afrika
11 to 28/02/2025
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