Chinese multidisciplinary artist Wallace Chan, who has pioneered titanium’s unprecedented use for large-scale sculptures, returns to Venice for the third time, with "Transcendence", a sculpture exhibition on display from 19 April to 30 September 2024, at the Chapel of Santa Maria della Pietà.

"Transcendence" is an installation consisting of four large-scale titanium sculptures suspended from the ceiling of the chapel. The exhibition explores the pursuit of a meditative state and how the mind can transcend the normal limits or boundaries of space and time. In a wider context, it represents the notion of transforming conflicts into opportunities for growth and enlightenment.

As viewers move through the Chapel, the arrangement of the new sculpture series alludes to a progressive transition, from a state of conflict to one of tranquillity. This juxtaposition is emphasised through Chan’s mastery of titanium, an unexpected material that conveys the ethereal, appearing in a liminal state between liquid and solid. Initiating dialogue with the building’s sacred context and drawing inspiration from Chinese Buddhism, the exhibition also finds natural parallels with its Catholic setting. Inspired by both Christian and Buddhist ideas, Chan sees the universe as ultimately all-embracing.