Wallace Chan's 'Vessels of Other Worlds' Opens Across Venice and Shanghai

Wallace Chan's dual-site exhibition 'Vessels of Other Worlds' is on view at the historic Santa Maria della Pietà in Venice and the Long Museum in Shanghai, coinciding with the Venice Biennale. Curated by James Putnam, the show features monumental titanium sculptures exploring transformation, spirituality, and time. Chan, a Hong Kong-based self-taught sculptor, developed the 'Wallace Cut' gemstone technique and spent eight years mastering titanium before creating large-scale works. The Venice installation references the three sacred oils of Catholic ritual, while the Shanghai presentation includes the immersive sculpture 'Growth' that viewers can enter. Chan describes titanium as 'closest to eternity' and approaches materials as vessels for the unseen. The exhibition draws on influences from nature, Western religious sculpture, and Bosch's 'The Garden of Earthly Delights,' reflecting Chan's philosophical inquiry into what lies beyond visible reality.