Interview with Wallace Chan, the artist who created a bridge between Venice and Shanghai through water

Wallace Chan, the Hong Kong-born artist turning 70, has launched a dual-exhibition project titled "Vessels of Other Worlds" between Venice and Shanghai, curated by James Putnam. In Venice, the show runs concurrently with the Biennale at the Cappella di Santa Maria della Pietà (Vivaldi's church), featuring three titanium sculptures inspired by Catholic holy oils, surrounded by smaller works evoking water droplets. In Shanghai, the same sculptures appear at the Long Museum (West Bund) starting July 18, 2026, on a monumental scale—seven, eight, and ten meters tall—with a kaleidoscopic interior accessible through a door in the central piece. The exhibitions also include sound compositions by Brian Eno and reference Chan's earlier Venice shows (Titans, Totem, Transcendence).

The project matters because it creates a symbolic bridge between two culturally rich cities linked by water, while showcasing Chan's pioneering use of titanium—a material he introduced to jewelry and later monumental sculpture. The dual-venue format, with intimate works in Venice and colossal counterparts in Shanghai, highlights how scale and context transform the viewer's experience. Chan's journey from a self-taught teenager carving jade to a globally recognized artist who once renounced all possessions in a monastery underscores a narrative of reinvention and spiritual depth, making this exhibition a meditation on life, transformation, and cross-cultural dialogue.