A collateral exhibition titled "Alchemical Universe" at the Palazzo Soranzo Van Axel in Venice features 35 lacquer paintings by Chinese-German artist Su Xiaobai. Curated by Stephen Little of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Lacma) and designed by architect Kulapat Yantrasast, the show spans Su's early experiments to recent works created for Venice, including suspended temple tiles and floor pieces on mirrored Murano glass. Su, who was advised by Gerhard Richter in 2003 to focus on lacquer, now works exclusively in the medium, layering and scoring tree sap to create contemplative abstract works.
The exhibition matters because it bridges Chinese artistic traditions and European abstraction, highlighting Su's unique position as an artist rooted in both cultures—he maintains studios in Shanghai and Düsseldorf. It also underscores Lacma's engagement with contemporary art at the Venice Biennale, and the concurrent launch of a Curatorial Residency in Shanghai in collaboration with the University of Southern California's Roski School of Art and Design signals growing institutional support for Su's legacy.