Wallace Chan: Vessels of Other Worlds

“Vessels of Other Worlds” is a dual-site exhibition presented in 2026. The project introduces a series of monumental titanium sculptures that expand the spatial and conceptual dimensions of Wallace Chan’s practice. The exhibition explores life’s elemental mysteries and the cycles of birth, growth, and death, drawing inspiration from Hieronymus Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights”.

The presentation features three titanium sculptures inspired by the Olea Sancta, the sacred oils used in Catholic rituals. These works are accompanied by a triptych of video screens that act as a portal to reveal monumental counterparts located at a parallel exhibition site. A constellation of suspended titanium sculptures, suggesting oil drops in motion, surrounds the central works to create a sense of fluidity.

At the secondary site, the vessels are presented on a dramatically larger scale, with the central sculpture featuring a doorway that allows audiences to experience a kaleidoscopic interior. This interior utilizes mirrored apertures that reference the artist’s gemstone-carving technique, the “Wallace Cut”. The exhibition connects two distinct locations through transmitted footage and a dialogue of form, incorporating works from previous projects such as “Titans”, “Totem”, and the Brian Eno-soundscaped “Transcendence”. The use of titanium, described as a material close to eternity, serves to contain themes of memory, spirit, and transformation.