Koen Vanmechelen 

Belgian artist Koen Vanmechelen is an internationally renowned, interdisciplinary artist and one of the most versatile thinkers of his time. In his work, he explores the boundaries between art, science, philosophy, and community. Vanmechelen's projects are based on the idea of duality, of an encounter with ‘the other’, which leads to genetic diversification and evolution. Vanmechelen received an honorary doctorate from Hasselt University (2010) and was awarded the prestigious Golden Nica Hybrid Art Award (Linz, 2013) and Global Artist's Award (Venice, 2013). A much sought-after speaker, he has been invited to the World Economic Forum (2008) and various TED conferences.