Wallace Chan...

1:42 p.m.

Vessels of Other Worlds, a new body of monumental titanium sculptures by artist Wallace Chan (China, 1956), renowned for creating a carving technique that produces a three-dimensional illusion within titanium (the "Wallace Cut"), is currently on display at the Chapel of Santa Maria della Pietà in Venice.

In this exhibition, the dialogue between the materials and the space housing these three sculptures, each nearly 10 meters tall, addresses the uncertainty that defines our existence: whether humanity originated on this planet or in other, as-yet-unknown worlds.

According to the exhibition text, the inspiration stemmed from Olea Sancta, the sacred oils used in Catholic rituals to bless the faithful. Accordingly, three screens were positioned at the chapel altar, acting as secret portals to reveal the origins of Chan’s sculptures. The videos focused on the three stages of life (birth, growth, and death), while the forms of the sculptures bore a resemblance to the imagery Hieronymus Bosch created in his extraordinary The Garden of Earthly Delights.