Diminique Blain, In the Oval Office, 2012 at Galerie Antoine Ertaskiran, Montréal. Photo by M-KOS
Volta NY inaugurated this year a new SoHo space to host its self-proclaimed “boutique†format art fair during Armory Week 2013, consisting exclusively of solo artist presentations within an invitation-only program of nearly 100 international galleries. The two floors of contemporary art contained in a somewhat cosy venue offered interesting juxtapositions of galleries and works, sometimes competing for attention, but mostly offering complementary dialogues. Stas Orlovski’s video projections on printed collage was well staged despite some concerns with ambient light at Mixed Greens Gallery (New York), and in a similar vein, Dominique Blain’s superb geo-political artifacts at Galerie Antoine Ertaskiran (Montreal) contrasted diametrically from her neighbour Carol Young’s hand crafted paper assemblages, featured in Beatriz Esguerra Art (Bogota). Nonetheless, the magazine-constructed busts portraits of Renaissance masters by Long-Bin Chen, at Frederieke Taylor Gallery (New York) matched happily with Brian Dettmer’s columns of encyclopaedic volumes, standing in Kinz + Tillou Fine Art (also New York). Whereas all exhibitors presented solo shows, not all gallery booths were sized or positioned as advantageously, enabling a select few to clearly stand out. Among these should be noted Kyotaro Hakamata’s humorous figurative sculptures facing the walls of MA2 gallery (Tokyo), as if punished for unsaid naughtiness, as well as Clint Jukkala’s modern(ish) paintings at Fred Giampietro (New Haven), impossibly expressive and minimalist at the same time. Altogether Volta proposed an exciting and cohesive fair, and according to early sales figures also did well commercially, which is always an agreeable combination to mix business and pleasure.
Stas Orlovski, Nocturne, 2012 at Mixed Greens, New York. Photo by M-KOS
Carol Young at Beatriz Esguerra Art, Bogotá. Photo by M-KOS
Kyotaro Hakamata at MA2 gallery, Tokyo
Clint Jukkala at Fred Giampietro, New Haven
Long-Bin Chen at Frederieke Taylor Gallery, NY. Photo by M-KOS
Brian Dettmer, a series from Tower, 2012. Kintz + Tillo Fin Art, New York
One Reply to “Boutique art fair shows small is beautiful – VOLTA NY Pt.1”