This can be appreciated as a series of conceptual and formal distinctions between the sculpture and the ground beneath us, as different arrangements of both figurative and abstract physical mass. Chan’s fragmentary sculpture can also be perceived as the vestiges of some lost civilization or a memorial to a distant primordial existence. It symbolises both social and psychological fragmentation in the current atmosphere of uncertainty over global issues, such as polarised politics, climate change and pollution. Once disassembled, the integrity of the sculpture as a unified form is removed, suggesting the fragility and imminent collapse of a previous order.
The spectacle of Chan’s installation does not belong to a singular form rather, it is produced by the relationship between its multiple parts. With his background in Buddhist philosophy, the work is linked to contemplation and curiosity about life, nature and the mysteries of the universe. His skill at creating both miniature and monumental sculptures seems to give him unique insight into the connection between the Microcosm and Macrocosm that characterises his practice. Chan is sensitive to the character of the metals he works with and believes that the inanimate materials possess some innate metaphysical energy or life force. Chan has pioneered its unprecedented use for large-scale sculptures.īy juxtaposing the titanium faces with the iron beams, Chan sets up a dialogue between the two materials, with the lightness and durability of titanium providing a dramatic contrast to the weightiness and susceptibility to corrosion of iron. The recurrent versions of the face at different scales are made from titanium, the strongest, most durable and lightweight metal known. While it resembles an ancient archetype, it possesses a timeless quality belonging to both past and future, with a somewhat uncanny aura, like an extra-terrestrial. Its ageless and androgynous facial features have a serene aura, as if to reference Buddhist imagery.
The enigmatic face motif is one of the defining characteristics of Chan’s imagination. By presenting his ‘Totem’ sculpture in unassembled parts, Chan alludes to the need for its reconstruction by displaying an assembly diagram on the gallery walls. It is the interconnection of the Earth’s separate parts that enables it to regulate its own environment and to be habitable and capable of sustaining human life. The reoccurring enigmatic face in Chan’s sculptures is a spiritual being, a kind of personification of our planet and its natural energy. The term totem usually refers to a revered ancestral spirit and is connected to a primal belief that the universe and everything in nature has a soul and that totems are symbols of human connections with all living and inanimate things. Chan invites visitors to experience these different perspectives as they wander among the sculptural elements, transforming their static completeness into an expansive ‘universe’ composed of many parts. The installation presents an interactive relationship between the work and the exhibition space, encouraging viewers to approach the parts closely and to view them from various angles. Totem is a large-scale installation of the unassembled parts of Wallace Chan’s 10-metre-high sculpture made of iron beams and carefully modelled titanium heads of various sizes.
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