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Wallace Chan: Vessels of Other Worlds is a monumental dual-site exhibition across Venice and Shanghai presented during the 61st Venice Biennale, premiering at the Chapel of Santa Maria della Pietà, Venice, and later in parallel at the Long Museum, Shanghai.
Renowned artist Wallace Chan will unveil Vessels of Other Worlds, his most ambitious and visceral project to date, in a landmark dual-site exhibition across Venice and Shanghai in 2026, coinciding with his 70th birthday. Curated by James Putnam, this major exhibition introduces a striking new series of monumental titanium sculptures, expanding both the spatial and conceptual dimensions of Chan’s practice.
The first exhibition opened on 8th May 2026 at the Chapel of Santa Maria della Pietà, coinciding with the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia 2026. The second and parallel exhibition will open at the Long Museum (West Bund), Shanghai, on 18th July 2026.
Following the success of his three previous exhibitions during the Venice Biennale – Titans (2021) and Totem (2022) at Fondaco Marcello, and Transcendence (2024) at the Chapel of Santa Maria della Pietà, Wallace Chan: Vessels of Other Worlds marks a bold new chapter in the artist’s oeuvre.
Sculptures
The exhibition is intrinsically tied to Venice, as the three featured titanium sculptures are inspired by the three sacred oils used in the Catholic Church for blessing rituals –the Olea Sancta. Surrounding the three central works, a constellation of suspended titanium sculptures suggests oil drops in motion, imbuing the chapel with a sense of fluidity. Symbolising the three stages of life – birth, growth, and rebirth – these intricate, fantastical forms also draw inspiration from Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights. The exhibition’s threefold structure unfolds further within the Pietà Chapel, where three video screens are positioned on the altar to form a triptych, acting as a secret portal to reveal the monumental counterparts to be on view at the Long Museum. This dialogue forges a connection between the distinct cultural heritages of the two cities, each shaped by its relationship to water, while prompting contemplation of the relationship between the tangible and the transcendental, extending the ‘presence’ of the sculptures across space and time.
Wallace Chan’s work has long been defined by a pursuit of innovation. He has pioneered the use of titanium, a material synonymous with advancement and technology. This dedication to inventions underscores his visionary approach, transforming industrial materials into poetic, ethereal forms of art.
In July 2026, at the Long Museum (West Bund), Shanghai, visitors will encounter the same three vessels on a dramatically larger scale, standing at seven, eight, and ten metres high. The central sculpture will feature a doorway, inviting audiences to step inside and experience its kaleidoscopic interior, with mirrored apertures referencing Chan’s celebrated illusionary carving technique, the Wallace Cut. Works from Chan’s earlier Venice exhibitions, including the Brian Eno–soundscaped Transcendence (2024), as well as Titans (2021) and Totem (2022), will also be presented, creating a dialogue that connects the two cities.
Wallace Chan says, “I am deeply grateful to the Long Museum for its support in realising this major dual-site exhibition. The dialogue between Venice and Shanghai allows these works to exist within diff erent cultural and architectural contexts, extending their presence across space and time.”
Also on view in Venice, Scala Contarini del Bovolo presents Wallace Chan: Mythos, open daily from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (last admission 5:30 PM), from 4th April to 18th October 2026. A site-specific project also curated by James Putnam, it unfolds within the tower’s spiralling architecture as a complementary encounter with Chan’s sculptural language.
Wallace Chan: Vessels of Other Worlds
Pieta Chapel, Venice | 8th May – 18th October 2026
Long Museum (West Bund), Shanghai | 18th July – 25th October 2026
Wallace Chan: Mythos Scala Contarini del Bovolo, Venice | 4th April – 18th October 2026
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