Posted on May 1, 2026

The Cycles of Time, Water and Curiosity: Wallace Chan’s Return to Venice

To coincide with the 61st Venice Biennale, Wallace Chan returns to Venice for the fourth time, presenting a new body of titanium sculptures that extend his lifelong exploration of time, space and materials.

Wallace Chan ©Giacomo Cosua

"Venice has always held a special place in my heart,” Wallace Chan reflects. “For over three decades, it was my dream to exhibit alongside the Biennale. This dream came true in 2021. Since then, I kept coming back.” Turning 70 this year, Chan marks this milestone with “Vessels of Other Worlds”, a dual-site exhibition spanning the Chapel of Santa Maria della Pietà in Venice (8 May-18 Oct) and the Long Museum (West Bund) in Shanghai (18 Jul-25 Oct), in collaboration with curator James Putnam.

Wallace Chan, “Mythos”, Bovolo Tower ©Federico Sutera

Chapel of Santa Maria della Pietà ©Federico Sutera

A Tale of Two Water Cities

Water has accompanied Chan in his practice since he began as a carver in 1973, as an abrasive coolant to avoid cracking of stones and keep dust off the materials. Water embraces him again more than ever as he chose two coastal cities to host “Vessels of Other Worlds” this year.

“I believe there are cycles in everything,” Chan says, standing at the spiral staircase at the cylindrical Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, an iconic architecture housing his concurrent exhibition “Mythos” (4 Apr-18 Oct) also curated by Putnam. “In “Mythos”, the suspended titanium sculptures evoke motions of both rise and fall, echoing the drifting clouds in Tintoretto’s Paradise at the backdrop of the space.” The artist continues, “They speak of the life cycle of water in its different states - evaporating, condensing, and returning to the earth. In a way, this mirrors our own lives, including my return to Venice.”

Stretching across the Eurasian landmass, Venice and Shanghai are bound by water - an element that moves freely and dissolves boundaries. “The Venetian archipelago is intersected so much as united by the massive web of canals,” Chan observes. “When I sat beside Huangpu River in Shanghai, the flowing water reminded me of Venice. There is a threading vitality between the cities as they breathe with the tides.”

Wallace Chan, "Vessels of Other Worlds", Long Museum, Birth sculpture ©Tian Fang Fang

At the Venice exhibition, the two cities synchronise in overlapping time and space. Visitors will encounter the three colossal sculptures in Shanghai through their 1.5-metre versions in the Chapel of Santa Maria della Pietà and a live-streamed footage screened as a triptych on the altar, a dialogue that Chan creates between the sculptures’ remote presence and their material reality.

Based in Hong Kong and long active in international art hubs like London and Paris, he speaks of the two cities with equal fondness.

“Venice is where past and present meet, a place with a profound cultural memory that continues to inspire - my site-specific works are vivid examples. Traditionally a financial centre, Shanghai has developed rapidly in recent decades, both in exhibition infrastructure and cultural content. With its openness to different cultures, it has become a powerful magnet for visitors.”

Wallace Chan, "Vessels of Other Worlds", Venice, Birth, Growth, Rebirth sculptures ©Haibo

The Philosophy of Fluidity

As with water - adaptive and in perpetual motion - the conception of the 2026 exhibition emerged through chance. “I live by the philosophy of fluidity,” Chan explains.

Following his 2024 exhibition “Transcendence“ during Venice Biennale, he visited a Catholic church in town, where he encountered the sacred oils used in sacramental rites - the Olea Sancta. “Only then did I decide to draw on this subject for my next Venice project. I was simply driven by curiosity, without excessive planning. After all, only history can judge my work.”

Wallace Chan, “Vessels of Other Worlds”, Long Museum, Birth sculpture ©Tian Fang Fang

While that judgement lies in the future, Chan’s technical achievements are already formidable. To realise the works presented in Venice and Shanghai, he undertook extensive experimentation for titanium that melts at around 1,700 degrees Celsius. He notes, “I shaped it into a dripping form in a solid state, in various scales and complexity, inviting viewers to experience the chemistry between opposing qualities of the material.”

Endless Dreams

From craft to art, Chan never stopped chasing his dreams. “No dream is ever the same. We must keep dreaming in order to discover new possibilities and reach new heights.” He continues, “Even in a remote dream, it is the faintest glimpse of hope that keeps me going. It leads me to breakthroughs.”

This determination is evident in the making of “Vessels of Other Worlds”. Initially conceived as three monumental sculptures of 7, 8 and 9 metres high, the works evolved through a process of continual testing and reconfiguration.

The tallest one ultimately reached 10 metres - surpassing its original design.

Chan’s practice is grounded in the perseverance of making with his own hands. Among his many innovations is the Wallace Cut, invented in 1987 - a revolutionary gemstone carving technique that uses reverse engraving to create a holographic image floating inside a transparent stone. This will be seen again in the 2026 exhibitions, and the kaleidoscopic effect can be experienced live in the immersive space inside the 8-metre vessel.

Wallace Chan, ”Vessels of Other Worlds”, Long Museum, details of Birth sculpture ©Tian Fang Fang

Cyclical Curiosity

Walking through the winding alleys of Venice, Chan moves with a readiness to discovery. At any turn, he might stray away, drawn to something unnoticed by others.

This curiosity continues to shape his work in both craft and art making. “I like to think of everything as a vessel - an empty container with the capacity to hold and nurture something new.”

Wallace Chan, “Mythos”, Bovolo Tower ©Federico Sutera

“I still have the curiosity of my 16-year-old self”, he says. “Age has only enriched my curiosity with broader perspectives.”

He offers a simple yet telling example: gold. When melted from solid to liquid, certain alloying elements like Zinc fume into the air, while atmospheric elements like oxygen enter the molten gold.

It may be a small observation, yet it reveals a deeper aspect of Chan’s character - he is a man driven by an unwavering desire for discovery and knowledge. At almost 70, the artist is far from settling - he keeps reinventing himself and his practice in cycles of curiosity, guided by fluidity, and carried forward, like water, across time, space and possibilities.