Panamarenko
Panamarenko (1940–2019) was a Belgian multidisciplinary artist and inventor. Birds and insects inspired him to design and test harnesses with wings. Although his poetic constructions weren’t always functional, the artist continued to investigate the possibilities for exploring the earth in flight or travelling to the stars.
In his work Vogelmarkt [Bird Market] (2004) Panamarenko displays three chicken robots on a platform, as if they were ready for a demonstration. This is part of his research into the Archaeopteryx, an extinct bird that he considered to be ‘the original chicken’. They are brought briefly back to life with a small electric motor and a battery. Panamarenko spent his youth with a young, wild jackdaw as a pet. Later on, Panamarenko was a regular visitor to the Bird Market in Antwerp. He became fascinated with the parrots and even a toucan there; they became his new pets and muses.
Exhibited works:
Vogelmarkt, 2004. Courtesy Lukasz Majewski, Gallery Knokke
Vogelmarkt (affiche), 2004
Collection M HKA / Flemish Community