Mechelse Jaer – CCP29, Kunsthall 3,14, Bergen (NO) 13 Sept - 8 Dec 2024

At Kunsthall 3,14, a contemporary art institution in Norway, the 29th generation of Belgian artist Koen Vanmechelen’s Cosmopolitan Chicken Project (CCP) made its debut, hatching live during his solo exhibition. The nine chicks mark a new milestone as the new generation CCP29 is a unique hybrid of the Norwegian Jærhøns and the Mechelse Aseel, representing the project's continued evolution.

More on Cosmopolitan Chicken Project

The exhibition “Mechelse Jaer – CCP29” opened on September 13 at Kunsthall 3,14, an institution known for embracing socially engaged contemporary art. The expo allows visitors to witness the hatching process live, showcasing the intimate, often hidden stages of life. Now, 21 days after the opening, the first chicks are born. This generation succeeds the Mechelse Aseel - CCP28, born lasst year in Bangladesh, and marks an evolution in Vanmechelen's work. “The project has become bigger than myself,” claims the artist. “It continues to evolve, and I follow the project, not only as the creator but also more and more as an observer to learn more about the global legacy of the human animal and explore the different ways we choose to live and evolve together.”

Exploration of life at Kunsthall 3,14

Vanmechelen began the Cosmopolitan Chicken Project in the late 1990s. It has since become a globally recognised exploration of life, identity, and diversity. The project crossbreeds indigenous chicken breeds from different parts of the world, each generation becoming a symbol of cross-cultural and biological fusion. The CCP has been exhibited in significant museums globally, from Cuba’s Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes to London’s V&A, from the Uffizi in Florence to the National Museum of Zimbabwe and now in Bergen. "I follow the chicken because it represents life," Vanmechelen reflects. "With every generation, the project teaches me something new."

In Norway, it is curator Malin Barth, director of Kunsthall 3,14, who invites Vanmechelen to Bergen, the second largest city of Norway. “Kunsthall 3,14 is a nonprofit contemporary art institution that embraces political, social, and cultural engagement. It seeks to present ground-breaking exhibitions that challenge societal norms and provoke dialogue. Koen Vanmechelen´s Cosmopolitan Chicken project is as close to a perfect fit for Kunsthall 3,14´s aim for our exhibition programming. We want to present artworks that nurture ripple effects. Koen's project does just that: creating a ripple of transformative influence that expands over time and across spaces and shapes how we see and experience the world.”

"Koen Vanmechelen´s Cosmopolitan Chicken project is as close to a perfect fit for Kunsthall 3,14´s aim for our exhibition programming. We want to present artworks that nurture ripple effects. Koen's project does just that: creating a ripple of transformative influence that expands over time and across spaces and shapes how we see and experience the world.” — Malin Barth, curator and director Kunsthall 3,14

In the historical building, a former national bank, visitors can witness the breeding of the 29th Generation of Cosmopolitan Chickens through the different stages. In the parent’s cage, two Mechelse Aseel hens live with a Jærhøns rooster, the only indigenous domesticated chicken breed in Norway. Their eggs hatch in the incubator ‘Breaking the Cage’. Afterwards, the newborn chicks get a chance to grow in the chick coop. Finally, a third cage, currently still empty, holds space for when they are mature. In the middle cage, a see of eggs, ventilators and breeding lamps symbolize the idea of the incubator, creating the perfect circumstances for new life to develop.

Next to the old vault, ‘Open Secret’ is being kept; a leather-bound book of the DNA sequence of one of Vanmechelens Cosmopolitan Chickens. In the accompanying DECODE video, people from the different countries participating in the CCP read aloud from the book, a testament to the project's genetic diversity. Finally, two neon works conclude the expo: CCPCC, referencing the artist's crossbreeding projects and a quote from the artist; ‘Fertility comes from outside’. A reminder of how the outside forces drive creation.

Breeding in Norway

Vanmechelen: “These artworks delve into themes such as freedom, identity, and the artificial boundaries we create. The CCP project raises existential questions: Why chickens? How do we deal with new life? What does it mean to cage life, and how does this reflect society?” Vanmechelen sees Norway as a fitting location for this new generation of CCPs. "Norway, with its dramatic beauty and ancient legacy provides the perfect setting to reflect on the intricate relationship between humans and their environment," he says. “In Bergen, my exhibition mirrors our endless search for balance—between the local and the global, culture and nature, exploration and rootedness."

"It is exciting to see how this exhibition captivates audiences with its profound exploration of life’s interconnectedness. We invite all to engage with this living, evolving work that brings together art and science and embodies the complexity and potential of hybrid life", concludes the director. Vanmechelen: “As 2025 prepares for the 30th generation, this journey is never merely about chickens. It concerns us all. It reflects on the richness that springs from diversity and is a constant testament to the ever-evolving nature of being and the being of nature.”