Artist Su Xiaobai will present a major solo exhibition titled "Alchemical Universe" at the Palazzo Soranzo Van Axel as an official Collateral Event of the 61st Venice Biennale. Curated by Stephen Little of LACMA, the show features 35 works spanning two decades, highlighting Su’s transition from oil painting to the mastery of natural lacquer. The exhibition includes his latest series, "Niao Niao," which utilizes mineral and metallic powders to create monochromatic, ethereal surfaces that emphasize material spontaneity over rigid artistic control.
This exhibition matters because it bridges traditional Chinese materiality with contemporary global abstraction within the high-stakes environment of the Venice Biennale. By staging the show in a 15th-century Venetian palazzo with architectural interventions by Kulapat Yantrasast, the project creates a dialogue between the historical layers of Venice and the physical layers of Su’s lacquer process. It represents a significant institutional push for Su Xiaobai, backed by the Su Xiaobai Foundation and LACMA, positioning his work at the intersection of heritage and modernism.