GENK.- On 6 July 2019, LABIOMISTA officially opened its gates to the public. This unique, evolving work of art by Koen Vanmechelen is a vigorous hybrid of art, science and society. “LABIOMISTA is a homage to the mix of life itself,” says the artist, who realised this project in close partnership with the city of Genk.

LABIOMISTA is the embodiment of Koen Vanmechelen’s art and philosophy. Internationally acclaimed for its exploration of the intersections between art, science and community, his oeuvre spans 20 years and ranges from painting and sculpture to video art, mixed-media installations and ‘living art’ projects. Vanmechelen is motivated by his belief in art as a catalyst for mutual understanding and as a guiding light in our search for answers to the great challenges of the 21st century – in particular - the relationship between nature and culture, and sustainable community development. With the opening of LABIOMISTA, Vanmechelen creates his largest, evolving artwork yet, capturing the trajectory of his practice and forming a dynamic platform for future endeavours.

LABIOMISTA is an atypical project, emerging from a remarkable collaboration between an artist, Koen Vanmechelen, and a city, Genk.

Wim Dries, the Mayor of Genk — “As the most culturally diverse city in Flanders, we share Koen Vanmechelen’s conviction that diversity explains the present and shapes the future. That’s why we are confident to give him free rein with LABIOMISTA, and will work with him to produce a bountiful harvest in the fertile ground of Zwartberg, both in terms of artistic experiments and social redevelopment. This way, the themes that Koen Vanmechelen addresses in his work can be translated into the context of a city like Genk – compact and cosmopolitan at the same time. This is a new and bold approach to urban renewal. On July 6th, LABIOMISTA will open its gates to the public, but it will remain a primarily content-driven project.”

LABIOMISTA
Four years after the groundbreaking, LABIOMISTA opened to the public. Half of its 24-hectare area consists of untouched nature. The rest is taken up by the Battery, housing both the art studio and headquarters of Koen Vanmechelen; Villa OpUnDi, in a redesigned villa that was once the directorial mansion of the Zwartberg coal mine, then the headquarters of the Zwartberg Zoo; LabOvo, a space for workshops and educational events; and a permanent open-air exposition with a range of living artworks and installations. The entrance to it all is the Ark, the eye-catching gatehouse into LABIOMISTA.

The Battery and the Ark were designed by Mario Botta, the renowned Swiss architect. The Battery contains an eye-catching greenhouse called the Looking Glass, and a huge eagle aviary.

GENK’S DNA
Joining C-mine and Thor Park, LABIOMISTA is the third former coal-mining site in Genk turned into a location with international appeal. These three sites will transform Genk, formerly a mining hub, into a modern, vibrant focal point for 21st-century urbanity. An exciting meeting place for diversity of all stripes, where universal socio-ecological topics take shape and become the subject of artistic discourse. LABIOMISTA’s park area contains three animal compounds totalling more than 9,000 m2, three ponds, and a footpath more than a kilometre in length that includes a number of bridges. The animals populating the park play an essential part in Vanmechelen’s work: in addition to his world-famous species of chicken, there are llamas, emus, dromedaries, ostriches, alpacas, rheas, and more.

As a project that takes on a multitude of forms, LABIOMISTA presents itself both as an alliance between and a bridge towards the local neighbourhood, the wider world, human society and all other species with whom we share this earth. And as a brand-new element in its surroundings, it adds to Genk’s DNA, itself still a young city.

“LABIOMISTA addresses themes such as identity, biocultural diversity and fertility,” says the artist. “It’s a reflection of my vision on nature, society and life itself. As such, it will continue to evolve with the rest of my work. Because LABIOMISTA is so all-encompassing, there was no better place for it than in a diverse city like Genk.”

For the city of Genk, LABIOMISTA is a major, future-facing driver of development, designed to inject the city itself – and the wider world – with fresh ideas and new projects. Says Mayor Dries: “LABIOMISTA has the potential to turn Genk into a lab, one in which our social and cultural diversity can grow and flourish.”

One way to achieve this is by cross-pollination between on the one hand, Vanmechelen’s various global projects (such as the Cosmopolitan Chicken Project, the Planetary Community Chicken, Lucy, SOTWA, MECC) and foundations (Mouth, The Walking Egg, CC®P, Combat and Cosmogolem); and on the other hand, various local actors (including multicultural neighbourhood projects, the award-winning Cosmocafé, the history of the area and region – not in the least the rich local tradition of allotment gardens, and of course the local flora and fauna). Says Vanmechelen: “Even the trees in the park form an invisible network. Everything is interconnected. All things flow, seek out connections, crave mixture.”

NOMADLAND & COMMUNITY
A conscious choice was made not to develop any commercial catering and recreation activities at LABIOMISTA. Instead, the project promotes the growth of local businesses and neighbourhood initiatives. This chimes with the artist’s vision to support sustainable, healthy and vibrant communities, by linking what’s local with what’s global, and by connecting art with society. In fact, the revenue from LABIOMISTA’s entrance fees will be used for exactly that purpose. Those funds will be reinvested in their entirety in the park’s public role, and in neighbourhood projects – a rather unique approach.

“For something to grow to global scale, it needs to have local roots, local DNA,” Vanmechelen says. “That’s why LABIOMISTA actually extends into the surrounding community. This is Nomadland, which connects LABIOMISTA with its wider neighbourhood.” For Vanmechelen, the name Nomadland conjures up travellers along the Silk Road, introducing each other to the unique treasures of various cultures. Dotted with allotments, picnic zones and an event-staging area, Nomadland is set to become a meeting place like no other. “We’re inviting our neighbours to help build something exciting together with us. Something that belongs not just to us here in Zwartberg, but to the whole world as well,” Vanmechelen enthuses.

“C-mine as a creative hub is closely linked with nearby Vennestraat, Genk’s cosmopolitan artery with its restaurants, bars, shops and galleries. In that same vein, we want to embed LABIOMISTA in the surrounding neighbourhood and wider community in Zwartberg,” Wim Dries confirms.