In his 16th year, Volta returns to the Big Apple for its annual contemporary art fair. The three-day event kicked off on Wednesday May 17 at the Metropolitan Pavilion, a loft-style event space off Sixth Avenue in Chelsea. White-walled stalls arranged in a maze-like fashion displayed works from more than 50 international galleries – some new, some returning, and 14 of them had presentations dedicated to individual artists.
Volta is less stuffy than its ostensibly nerd counterparts like Frieze, and the fair’s mind-numbing mix of showy and subtle works offered something for everyone – whether it’s another piece to add to your personal collection or a nice visual for your social media feed. That being said, while there was no shortage of QR codes (there was one accompanying each artwork), I was relieved by the lack of “free PR” schemes that tend to take shape in Instagram gimmicks and TikTok tomfoolery vying for posts and shares.
The fair’s general manager, Cristina Salmastrelli, described the process of organizing the event as a “labor of love”.
“Volta has seen many changes since its founding, from ownership and management to venues and exhibition programs, but the core value of nurturing artists has remained intact,” Salmastrelli said.
This year’s fair specifically spotlighted female artists from around the world, so it’s no surprise that most of the works I turned to were created by women. At the Mexico City-based Cam Galería stand, I found my eyes lingering on a curious collection of long-limbed resin figures from Alejandra España.
The Mexican multimedia artist had several different works, including large-format neon collages and a huge gold tapestry, but her candy-colored figures, delicately arranged on a low table in front of her prints, were a delightful display, especially in comparison to some the grandest sculptures from other galleries.
The haunting faces in Ola Rondiakthe autonomous exhibition of Cultural front near the fairground cafe was another draw for me. In her presentation consisting of 18 small works, the Ukrainian-American artist uses collages, portraits and color gradients to illustrate the emotional and cultural toll the ongoing Russian invasion has taken on her home country. During a conversation with his daughter Maya, who was standing next to the exhibition, I learned that the artist had incorporated sewing patterns into the collages as an ode to his past in fashion. She further explained that the faces, ghostly faces in some cases reminiscent of a “Madonna and Child”, were drawn as a way of coping with trauma and loss. In partnership with the Human Rights Association RasomRondiak plans to donate a portion of the proceeds from his artworks sold to the nonprofit to support Ukraine.
Fairgoers entering Volta were greeted by a shimmering installation by Shanthi Chandrasekar entitled “Cosmic Vibrations – Raining Gold” (2023). I remember that the self-taught sculptor artist attracts visitors to the Art on Paper fair in September with its meticulously perforated ceiling lights. But for this exhibit, Chandrasekar swapped paper for metal to create an ethereal suspended sculpture made of gold threads and rings of varying sizes. Like much of his work, the installation references cosmological and philosophical concepts, such as kilonovas – the rare collision of two neutron stars that produces heavy metals.
The exhibition was curated by Lamina Project, a New York gallery that focuses on the intersection of art and science. Lamina Project’s own gallery presentation has continued to lead to more intriguing artwork based on mathematical models and microbiological research by artists Jody Rasch and Mark Pomilio, alongside other fascinating works by Chandrasekar.
Another familiar face, Ashley Norwood Cooper, took center stage for the second time at the Zinc Contemporary booth to unveil her massive oil paintings from her recent exhibition. Swarm at the Fenimore Art Institute in Cooperstown, New York, which just closed the weekend of May 14. Given the short time to Volta, zinc curator Laura Heck said Hyperallergic that transporting Cooper’s work from upstate to Manhattan was a “sweaty” undertaking that nevertheless came to fruition in time for the fair.
Since his last Volta appearance in 2020, Cooper’s art has not only shifted in scale, but also in style and content, in part due to his upstate COVID lockdown experience. Full of frenetic energy, her paintings are amalgamations of noise, texture and color that often include allusions to poetry, climate change and menopause.
“I think my surfaces are richer,” Cooper said. “Many of my paintings were domestic scenes. When I got trapped in upstate New York [during the pandemic,] I was hiking more and doing more outdoors, and so the artwork moved outdoors.
As part of its partnership with Fashion fights cancer, there are also several exhibitions in collaboration with the non-profit group, including a live painting by Andy Dass. As collectors chatted enthusiastically with curators of gallery exhibits, Dass seemed unfazed by the buzz around him as he worked methodically on a purple, red, orange and blue canvas in one corner.
Due to the way the fair was set up, art was sometimes displayed in odd hallways and corners, causing more than a few awkward and claustrophobic moments. By the time I left the opening, I had lost track of how many times I had walked through the maze of artists, curators, and collectors. But then again, what would Volta be if it wasn’t a trip of sensory overload down the rabbit hole of the fine art market?
Volta crosses this Sunday, May 21.
