In the Belgian EU pavilion, the Art Corner will offer visitors a snapshot of both classical and modern Belgian art. The Commissariat-General asked Laurent Busine, Director of the Musée des Arts Contemporains, Le Grand-Hornu, to select the artists for the modern art section.

100 striking images of art works are selected. Fifty images by contemporary Belgian artists and fifty images of work by designers will scroll along on 14  video screens as a carousel of images. Visitors will see images of work by Wim Delvoye, Marcel Broodthaers, Jacques Charlier, Michel François, Jan Fabre, Panamarenko and Ann Veronica Janssens. The designers include names such as Maarten Van Severen, Xavier Lust, Charles Kaisin and Marina Bautier. 

At the same time, visual artist Koen Vanmechelen (Sint-Truiden, Belgium) will present his Cosmopolitan Chicken Project, a worldwide cross-breeding programme involving national and regional chicken breeds. The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project is Vanmechelen's way of reflecting on the existential questions of individual identity and life, and touches on contemporary issues relating to globalization, racism, genetic modification and cloning. It involves a symbiosis between art, science, philosophy, politics and ethics.

On the 19th of May, Koen Vanmechelen will hold a lecture at the Belgian EU Pavilion about his project, how it started, his visions and thoughts.

More information:
www.shanghai2010.be
www.koenvanmechelen.be

Image: Koen Vanmechelen, The appeal of the chicken, by Maryse Leyse.