Mohau Modisakeng presented by BRUNDYN+, Cape Town. Photo: ©David Willems. Courtesy of David Willems and Volta NY
Volta 2014 counted a no-mean-feat 20,000 visitor attendance to its four day long SoHo-based art fair, uniquely consisting of solo artist-presentation gallery booths. Sojourning for a second year in its current Mercer Street location, the seven-year-old fair certainly was quick to make a impression on the busy Armory week calendar, from establishing its trademark white-on-black branding to boasting a veritable star-studded string of patrons from Israel, The Emirates as well as numerous local Big Apple-ers.
Over 90 galleries mingled at Volta over from 29 countries, including key centers such as London, New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong alongside more specialized markets like those found in Copenhagen, Vienna, or even emerging Nassau. Among these a refreshingly surprising number of African and African-American galleries and artists composed Volta’s roster, from Rwandan artist Duhirwe Rushemeza’s acrylic and concrete reliefs and installations hosted by NOMAD Gallery (Brussels), South African artist Mohau Modisakeng’s black and white photographies alongside with sculptures at BRUNDYN+ (Cape Town), Wilmer Wilson IV’s brown paper bag performance and indexical photographs at Connersmith Gallery (Washington D.C.) and more. Japanese artists also captured the public’s attention to reflect strong sales with the first North American show of kinetic works by Satoru Tamura at Tezukayama Gallery (Osaka), perhaps responding to the faux avant-garde collages and assemblages of Atsushi Tawa within Identity Art Gallery (Hong Kong). Mike Weiss Gallery in New York transformed its space in a maelstrom of graffiti and animal print rugs as a backdrop for Toronto painter Thrush Holmes’ neon clad works, all stationed on silver fire extinguishers. Indeed karma shone on the Canadian metropolis as Angell gallery (also of Toronto) witnessed phenomenal sales of Kim Dorland’s thickly layered oil paintings.
Demonstrably well balanced between discerning senses of scale, edginess and effective commercialism, Volta Art Fair has this way managed to stay credible to a rich mix of audiences, while at the same this year reporting a slew of enquiries from institutional representative, including Eric Shiner (Director of the Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh); Knight Landesman (Publisher of Artforum International); Alan and Rebecca Ross (Chairwoman of Detroit Institute of the Arts); Bill Arning (Director of Contemporary Arts Museum Houston) and many more. Such an advantageous position may trigger envious responses towards Volta’s competitors, but it also begs the question: What next: How will Volta take things to the next level?
Thrush Holmes presented by Mark Weiss Gallery, NY. Photo: ©David Willems. Courtesy of David Willems and Volta NY
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