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About Personal Structures
Personal Structures is the biennial contemporary art exhibition organised and hosted by the European Cultural Centre Italy in Venice. The 8th edition will run from 9 May until 22 November 2026 in parallel with La Biennale. In a society marked by fractures, displacement, and accelerated transformation, Personal Structures – Confluences emerges as a space for encounter. It is a place where artistic practices, cultures, and disciplines intersect, contaminate one another, and generate new possibilities for coexistence. In the group show, visual artists, photographers, sculptors, performers, universities, and artist collectives, both established and emerging, bring a multitude of perspectives to the historical venues of Palazzo Bembo, Palazzo Mora, and Marinaressa Gardens.


Confluences
For its eighth edition, Personal Structures takes Confluences as its theme: it is a powerful metaphor to describe how people, cultures, and experiences can come together, influence one another, and give rise to fresh perspectives.
The exhibition is built on the idea that individual stories are never isolated, but part of a larger, ever-changing collective fabric. Through the works of artists, galleries, universities, and cultural institutions from across the world, Confluences becomes a space for dialogue, where diverse languages intersect and open the way to new possibilities of imagining both our present and our future.
Art, society, nature, and technology converge in a journey that invites reflection on how we can live together more consciously and sustainably. Personal Structures – Confluences is not just an exhibition, but an invitation to be carried by new ideas and to discover the richness of encounter.

Solan CHIU: Galloping Dreamscape

Stoneware Sculptures (Herd of 111 Ceramic Horses). 2012, 2024–2026

The mythical mother horse "Innocence" (2012) leads her herd through a mysterious galaxy. Born from Kafka's spirit of transformation, she wears a child's shoes, with wings and a horn, her playful gaze declaring: "I am what I am, and I am free." From her, 110 whimsical horses were born in 2024–2026.

Here, Innocence watches from a corner as the herd gallops across an ancient curved arena floating in the cosmos. Their hooves echo like dancing rhythms across the cosmic void. Each horse has a uniquely textured body conveying movement and playful spirit. Their legs are short—liberated from burdens.Wings unfold flying through the galaxy.

They echo Tang Dynasty ceramic horses, reflecting the ancient Longma spirit: dragon-horse energy of resilience and noble strength. Vibrant glazes dance across surfaces, liquid gold catching light like laughter.

Suspended among nebulae and starlight, the herd gallops freely, some soaring beyond into infinite space, becoming constellations of liberated souls. Solan invites us to reflect: freedom is both a personal journey and a joyful dream we chase together.


Heartfelt gratitude to Mariana Laurie for Curating this art installation, to Louisa Peasley for Logistic Support, and to the ECC Team for the Setup.

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Solan Chiu 趙素蘭

Solan Chiu is a Chinese ceramic artist based in Hong Kong whose conceptually-driven work focuses on sculpture and large-scale installation. Her art synthesizes deep Chinese cultural heritage with perspectives shaped by living in New Zealand in the 1990s, forming a unique visual language rooted in personal and social narrative.

Her four-decade practice explores memory, place, and material transformation. Chiu’s immersive ceramic installations turn architectural spaces into contemplative environments, creating visceral encounters that leave lasting sensory impressions. Within these works, contemporary sculptural forms convey layered historical and cultural meaning.

As founder of Hong Kong’s Giant Year Gallery, she fosters emerging talent and promotes ceramic art in public discourse. Her international recognition is reflected in acquisitions by institutions such as the Macau Museum of Art, The World Bank in Washington, D.C., and the Auckland Museum, and through exhibitions in Venice, London, Berlin, Singapore, Japan, Macau, and Hong Kong.

  • Section:Mixed Media Art

  • Venue:Palazzo Mora

  • Based in:Hong Kong, China

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