Cosmocafe

Developing a transnational Pavilion of Human Rights in the context of the Venice Biennial of Art

Driven by his underlying philosophy that survival depends on the Survival of The Other (SoTO), Belgian conceptual artist Koen Vanmechelen travels to all crooks and corners of the world to collect perspectives and ideas. On past, present and future. On art, nature and human rights. On the scope and the meaning of ‘the other’ and on the conditions for sustainable coexistence of individuals and human cultures with each other, and with other species on the planet.

The Cosmocafe conversations are his vehicle, at different places around the world they bring together 7 remarkable individuals in a private setting to share their views on the world and perspectives for the future. The encounters are breeding ground for new perspectives and insights. The conversations are art.
Together they make up the ingredients of an evolving Pavilion of Human Rights.

The project was initiated during the 2019 Venice Biennial of Art by the artist in partnership with the Global Campus of Human Rights, Fondazione Berengo and the MOUTH Foundation and comes together through a growing mycelium of local partners around the world. In 2022, the evolving artwork will be presented to the President and Director of the Venice Biennial of Art. It will be accompanied by a call to establish a recurrent Human Rights Pavilion as part of the Venice Biennial.

After previous conversations were held in places like Cape Town, Chile, Ethiopia, Tokyo and New York, the Cosmocafe lands in Zagreb on the 18th of September. The topic is hybridity and participants include Jurij Krpan, Ivan Novosel, Vesna Gulin, Simon Ryle, Barbara Scheltus, Davorka Begović and Tomislav Medak.

www.humanrightspavilion.com
https://www.humanrightspavilion.com/zagreb

https://www.instagram.com/humanrightspavilion/
@humanrightspavilion (Instagram)

Thank you Milla&Milli for lending us their OFFSET Dining Table for Zagreb edition of Cosmocafe.