Wallace Chan opens two Venice shows

Wallace Chan has opened two separate exhibitions in Venice during the 2026 Biennale season, extending his presence in the city beyond a single collateral show. “Mythos” opened on April 4 at Scala Contarini del Bovolo, while “Vessels of Other Worlds” opened on May 8 at the Chapel of Santa Maria della Pietà, according to venue listings and a press release for the project. Both shows run through Oct. 18, and “Vessels of Other Worlds” is part of a dual-site exhibition that will continue in Shanghai later this year. ### Why are there two Wallace Chan shows in Venice instead of one? Wallace Chan’s Venice presentation is split across two venues with two distinct exhibition formats. The Venice Art Factory listing describes “Vessels of Other Worlds” as Chan’s “most ambitious and visceral project to date,” built around monumental titanium sculptures, while “Mythos” is installed separately at Scala Contarini del Bovolo. (fitzandco.com) Vogue Adria had previewed the broader plan in late 2025, reporting that Chan was preparing a dual exhibition linking Venice and Shanghai in 2026 to mark his 70th birthday. That earlier report described the project as a major next step for the Hong Kong artist, whose practice spans jewelry, sculpture and carving. ### What is in “Vessels of Other Worlds”? “Vessels of Other Worlds” opened at Santa Maria della Pietà on May 8 and centers on a new series of monumental titanium sculptures, according to the press material and multiple exhibition listings. (veniceartfactory.org) ArtReview said the Venice show marks Chan’s fourth return to Venice and forms the first half of a two-city exhibition unfolding between Venice and Shanghai. (vogueadria.com) Artomity said the Venice installation includes three monumental titanium sculptures inspired by the Olea Sancta, the three sacred oils used in Catholic blessing rituals. The official project materials also identify James Putnam as curator. ### How is “Mythos” different from the larger show? “Mythos” opened earlier, on April 4, at Scala Contarini del Bovolo and its exhibition rooms. (fitzandco.com) The venue’s exhibition page says the show consists of titanium sculptures installed in the tower loggia and palace rooms, accompanied by two soundscapes. My Art Guides said the suspended works draw on Jacopo Tintoretto’s 16th-century “Mercurio e le Tre Grazie,” with Chan reworking the Three Graces as sculptural forms inside the historic Venetian setting. (artomity.art) That makes “Mythos” the more site-specific and intimate of the two Venice presentations, an inference supported by the smaller venue and the indoor installation format described by the organizers. (gioiellinascostidivenezia.it) ### How does this connect to the Venice Biennale? Vogue Adria included Chan’s exhibitions in its roundup of Venice shows to see during the 61st International Art Exhibition, which opens to the public on May 9. The article positioned the two Chan projects among independent exhibitions running alongside the Biennale across the city. ArtReview said “Vessels of Other Worlds” was timed to coincide with the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. (myartguides.com) The project is fully supported by the Long Museum, according to that report. ### What happens after Venice? The next scheduled step is in Shanghai. Artomity and Wallace Chan’s official site say the Shanghai leg of “Vessels of Other Worlds” will open at Long Museum West Bund on July 18 and run through Oct. 25, extending the two-city project beyond the Venice dates that end on Oct. 18. (vogueadria.com) (artomity.art) (artreview.com)