Wallace Chan, a Hong Kong-based jeweler and sculptor, has mounted a dual exhibition across two historic Venetian sites timed to the Venice Biennale. At Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, he presents "Mythos," a site-specific installation of suspended titanium sculptures that reimagine figures from Tintoretto's paintings, including the Three Graces and Mercury, as abstract, dissolving faces. Inside the palazzo, three sculptures hang beneath Tintoretto's "Paradise," accompanied by a soundscape from Chan's Shanghai workshop. The exhibition is curated by James Putnam, who has long specialized in placing contemporary art in dialogue with historical collections.
This presentation matters because it bridges contemporary sculpture with Venetian Renaissance heritage, using Chan's signature titanium works to engage with classical mythology and the building's history as a 19th-century astronomical observatory. The show exemplifies a growing trend of site-specific interventions that activate historic spaces during major art events like the Venice Biennale, while also highlighting Chan's unique trajectory from traditional stone carving to high-end jewelry and large-scale sculpture. The collaboration with curator James Putnam, known for pioneering such juxtapositions at the British Museum, underscores the enduring relevance of cross-temporal dialogues in art.