Wallace Chan's Monumental Sculptures Travel from Venice to Shanghai

The double exhibition 'Vessels of Other Worlds' by Chinese artist Wallace Chan (born 1956, Hong Kong) opened at the Long Museum West Bund in Shanghai on July 18, 2026, following its inaugural presentation at the Cappella della Pietà in Venice during the 61st Venice Biennale. Curated by James Putnam, the show runs until October 25, 2026. The exhibition features three monumental titanium sculptures standing seven, eight, and ten meters tall, assembled from thousands of components. Chan, a self-taught artist who began carving in 1973, developed the illusionistic 'Wallace Cut' technique in 1987 and pioneered titanium use in jewelry. His works are held by the British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Shanghai Museum, and Long Museum. The Shanghai iteration includes references to his previous Biennale projects: 'Titans' (2021), 'Totem' (2022), and 'Transcendence' (2024). The exhibition space incorporates labyrinthine corridors leading to a central hall where the three sculptures are presented. A kaleidoscopic environment allows visitors to walk through one sculpture, with the Wallace Cut technique multiplying images and altering perception. The show explores themes of birth, death, and rebirth, with chromatic variations of yellow, red, and blue. The Long Museum West Bund, one of China's largest private museums, was founded by collectors Liu Yiqian and Wang Wei.