![NIKKI ROSATO Untitled (Self Portrait) [detail], 2013](https://img.artlogic.net/w_2020,h_1160,c_limit/exhibit-e/5493565707a72c7342335013/b6fca81c4fb5de75f01c24873c1be1dd.jpeg)
Nikki Rosato
VOLTA NY is an invitational fair of solo-artist projects and is the American incarnation of the original VOLTA show, which was founded in Basel in 2005. VOLTA NY was conceived in 2008 as a focused, curated, boutique event that is a place for discovery. The exhibition showcases relevant contemporary art positions regardless of the artist’s or gallery’s age. By refocusing on artists through solo projects, VOLTA NY promotes a deep exploration of the work of its selected participants. These galleries must maintain deeply meaningful connections with their artists and follow them throughout their careers. In turn, invited galleries exhibit in an elegant venue, elevating their respective platforms for an experience mutually beneficial to fair visitors and the galleries alike.
In March 2015, VOLTA NY inaugurates its new home location at PIER 90 in the neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen, New York City. The landmark move positions it adjacent to Piers 92 and 94, the longtime platform for its sister fair, The Armory Show, and the focal point of March fair season. Moving to PIER 90 allows for synergy between both fairs and their collector bases while retainingVOLTA NY's distinct character and rigorous curation — the foundation for VOLTA's mission since its 2008 debut.
VOLTA NY is a platform for challenging, often complementary — and sometimes competing — ideas about contemporary art. Single-artist booths functioning more closely to proper exhibitions rather than traditional presentations proliferate the contemporary fair scene now. VOLTA NY has made solo projects its mandate and foundation from its inception in 2008, offering a prime opportunity to discover the practices of today's most salient artists while refocusing the art fair experience back to its most fundamental point: the art itself.