Founded twenty years ago as an alternative to the major art fairs, VOLTA marks its anniversary with the relocation to a new venue next to Messeplatz — right in the heart of Basel’s art scene.
Daria Neuhaus speaks with VOLTA’s Art Director, Lee Cavaliere, about the fair’s evolution, its mission, and the future of the independent art market.
Daria Neuhaus speaks with VOLTA’s Art Director, Lee Cavaliere, about the fair’s evolution, its mission, and the future of the independent art market.
This year VOLTA celebrates an anniversary. What has remained of its DNA and what did you change?
VOLTA started 20 years ago as an economic collaboration between friends and galleries, and the idea was to highlight the things people hadn’t really seen enough of, or the things people thought hadn’t had enough exposure in the world, and I think we’ve retained a lot of that. And for me it’s really about highlighting the community around emerging art and mid-level art. I don’t like the word ‘emerging’, because what does that even mean? It’s quite important to have a focus on what makes an artist emerge, you know: what is the community around them, what’s the support network around them, how did they get where they are – it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a lot of work by a lot of people. And what we want to highlight here is how does that happen, how we are a part of that as an art fair, as galleries, as collectors, as fellow artists, as collaborators. There’s a lot of talk about the market and how difficult that can be, but I think we should really celebrate what drives along and what helps it to continue, because what we’re doing here is looking out to the future, and there are so many different examples of how that works.
VOLTA started 20 years ago as an economic collaboration between friends and galleries, and the idea was to highlight the things people hadn’t really seen enough of, or the things people thought hadn’t had enough exposure in the world, and I think we’ve retained a lot of that. And for me it’s really about highlighting the community around emerging art and mid-level art. I don’t like the word ‘emerging’, because what does that even mean? It’s quite important to have a focus on what makes an artist emerge, you know: what is the community around them, what’s the support network around them, how did they get where they are – it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a lot of work by a lot of people. And what we want to highlight here is how does that happen, how we are a part of that as an art fair, as galleries, as collectors, as fellow artists, as collaborators. There’s a lot of talk about the market and how difficult that can be, but I think we should really celebrate what drives along and what helps it to continue, because what we’re doing here is looking out to the future, and there are so many different examples of how that works.
First, there comes Liste, then VOLTA, and then Art Basel. How does it work in this connection, if you want to get to Art Basel? What is the way to become successful as an artist at the market? Where is VOLTA in this art market scene?
VOLTA has always been more about the emerging market. But over the last 20 years it’s obviously evolved, because the galleries have evolved and the artists have evolved. A lot of our earlier galleries — most of the galleries, I think, from the first VOLTA, — went on to doing the bigger fairs like Art Basel. We’re not exactly a stepping stone, because I think a lot of the galleries have their own vision, and their vision isn’t to go to do the big fairs, it’s to do what really supports the artists they’re working with now, because the costs are completely different. It’s a different kind of environment, and it’s just a different thing. We’ve been working with Art Basel, particularly with this move right next to Messeplatz. It’s been a very good conversation with them about our position as opposed to their position, because we’re not in competition. We’re a very different fair. And we’re different from Liste as well. You know, Liste has also evolved over the last 30 years. I remember it 15 years ago, and it was a completely different thing, still with the same sensibility, to a certain extent. But that’s different from us.
So I think, the wonderful thing about VOLTA’s being where it is now, and the location, is that we are kind of celebrating our own history which is distinct from the other fairs. It’s about community, it’s about that kind of creative energy, it’s about building relationships, it’s always been about love. I think we’ve retained that kind of creative energy over the last 20 years.
VOLTA has always been more about the emerging market. But over the last 20 years it’s obviously evolved, because the galleries have evolved and the artists have evolved. A lot of our earlier galleries — most of the galleries, I think, from the first VOLTA, — went on to doing the bigger fairs like Art Basel. We’re not exactly a stepping stone, because I think a lot of the galleries have their own vision, and their vision isn’t to go to do the big fairs, it’s to do what really supports the artists they’re working with now, because the costs are completely different. It’s a different kind of environment, and it’s just a different thing. We’ve been working with Art Basel, particularly with this move right next to Messeplatz. It’s been a very good conversation with them about our position as opposed to their position, because we’re not in competition. We’re a very different fair. And we’re different from Liste as well. You know, Liste has also evolved over the last 30 years. I remember it 15 years ago, and it was a completely different thing, still with the same sensibility, to a certain extent. But that’s different from us.
So I think, the wonderful thing about VOLTA’s being where it is now, and the location, is that we are kind of celebrating our own history which is distinct from the other fairs. It’s about community, it’s about that kind of creative energy, it’s about building relationships, it’s always been about love. I think we’ve retained that kind of creative energy over the last 20 years.
Does this ecosystem also work the other way around — do artists who have already shown at Art Basel come to VOLTA as well?
Yes, it goes the other way as well. We’ve got one gallery, for instance, showing a work of the artist who was in Unlimited last year. So it does go both ways. I think that your feeling when you come to the fair is that sense of community. We’ve got 70 galleries from 29 countries, and somehow everyone gets on. It’s really important for us. You know, I introduce galleries to each other early on, as soon as I know what the floorplan looks like, so that when they get here they all know each other and know each other’s artists. And that community is really important. We saw it last year with the FIRSTS section, the first-time galleries. A lot of them are now collaborating, 4 of 5 of them moved into bigger booths this year. You can see that nurturing of their experience, which is really wonderful, does go both ways: between the fairs, between the galleries, and between the artists. It’s all a conversation.
Yes, it goes the other way as well. We’ve got one gallery, for instance, showing a work of the artist who was in Unlimited last year. So it does go both ways. I think that your feeling when you come to the fair is that sense of community. We’ve got 70 galleries from 29 countries, and somehow everyone gets on. It’s really important for us. You know, I introduce galleries to each other early on, as soon as I know what the floorplan looks like, so that when they get here they all know each other and know each other’s artists. And that community is really important. We saw it last year with the FIRSTS section, the first-time galleries. A lot of them are now collaborating, 4 of 5 of them moved into bigger booths this year. You can see that nurturing of their experience, which is really wonderful, does go both ways: between the fairs, between the galleries, and between the artists. It’s all a conversation.
You are independent and vibrant and make this contribution to the global art world, not only to the neighbourhood community, as is so common here in Switzerland.
What I really admire about the audience in Switzerland is that they are very discerning, which means it’s kind of a gradual conversation. It’s not like New York where decisions are made instantly. It’s much more about spending time. And I love that, because that's what art is all about: you take your time with the piece, you engage in conversation with the gallery owner, you learn more about the artist, and it's done thoughtfully. It's a deliberate process, and I truly value that approach. It's not just 'quick, quick, quick!'
I really want to celebrate this after 20 years here. You know, I’m not Swiss. The fair isn’t Swiss. But we’ve been here for 20 years. We’ve been nurtured and looked after by Basel and by Switzerland, and so we’ve got that celebratory event on Friday when it’s a free day for Basel residents. And there are also talks that day specifically about the Swiss market and the local context because it’s really important: a lot of our audience is Swiss. So we want to celebrate the infrastructure, the whole community of the art market, and what makes it all happen.
Switzerland is an amazing place to be as an artist or as a gallerist. It’s obvious to people here that art is important. You don’t have to convince them.
What I really admire about the audience in Switzerland is that they are very discerning, which means it’s kind of a gradual conversation. It’s not like New York where decisions are made instantly. It’s much more about spending time. And I love that, because that's what art is all about: you take your time with the piece, you engage in conversation with the gallery owner, you learn more about the artist, and it's done thoughtfully. It's a deliberate process, and I truly value that approach. It's not just 'quick, quick, quick!'
I really want to celebrate this after 20 years here. You know, I’m not Swiss. The fair isn’t Swiss. But we’ve been here for 20 years. We’ve been nurtured and looked after by Basel and by Switzerland, and so we’ve got that celebratory event on Friday when it’s a free day for Basel residents. And there are also talks that day specifically about the Swiss market and the local context because it’s really important: a lot of our audience is Swiss. So we want to celebrate the infrastructure, the whole community of the art market, and what makes it all happen.
Switzerland is an amazing place to be as an artist or as a gallerist. It’s obvious to people here that art is important. You don’t have to convince them.
How do you select galleries for VOLTA? Which criteria are most important to you?
What we have is an open application process. An open application process gives us more opportunity to meet things that we don’t know. And because we’re a smaller fair, we do have the time to meet with every single gallerist who applies. It starts with me: I have a conversation with the galleries about exactly what they are doing, why they are doing it, what their strategy is for coming to Basel specifically. And we get to know each other a bit. A lot of this has to do with the vibe: you need to know that they are the right kind of gallery for VOLTA. But the work is really paramount; there has to be quality. And the gallery has to really invest in their artists and in their trajectory. It has to have longevity. They have to have a vision for what they’re doing. That's really clear for us. You know, if you’re working with younger artists you need to know where you want them to go.
What we have is an open application process. An open application process gives us more opportunity to meet things that we don’t know. And because we’re a smaller fair, we do have the time to meet with every single gallerist who applies. It starts with me: I have a conversation with the galleries about exactly what they are doing, why they are doing it, what their strategy is for coming to Basel specifically. And we get to know each other a bit. A lot of this has to do with the vibe: you need to know that they are the right kind of gallery for VOLTA. But the work is really paramount; there has to be quality. And the gallery has to really invest in their artists and in their trajectory. It has to have longevity. They have to have a vision for what they’re doing. That's really clear for us. You know, if you’re working with younger artists you need to know where you want them to go.
Which trends in contemporary art do you find the most significant in 2025?
Something I found very interesting over the last couple of years, specifically, has been then a kind of celebration of artisanal craftsmanship. We see a lot of weaving, a lot of thread, and I think what’s interesting there is that we’ve got a lot of artists who are working from their own cultural and historical context and reworking it for contemporary vision. We have artists working with very traditional techniques that go back thousands of years, but they’re bringing it into their own context. And that's interesting. I think, craft used to be seen as a kind of sub-art, and I think there is a recognition now that it’s not just decorative, it’s not just beautiful, it’s actually about how it connects back to your mothers and grandmothers or your fathers and grandfathers. It’s a familial/historical thing. It’s an indication of your culture and your history. You can tell where someone’s from by the weave of their dress. That’s important, that’s interesting, and that’s another way of communicating your history and your culture. I’m seeing a lot of that, and we have some of that here as well.
Something I found very interesting over the last couple of years, specifically, has been then a kind of celebration of artisanal craftsmanship. We see a lot of weaving, a lot of thread, and I think what’s interesting there is that we’ve got a lot of artists who are working from their own cultural and historical context and reworking it for contemporary vision. We have artists working with very traditional techniques that go back thousands of years, but they’re bringing it into their own context. And that's interesting. I think, craft used to be seen as a kind of sub-art, and I think there is a recognition now that it’s not just decorative, it’s not just beautiful, it’s actually about how it connects back to your mothers and grandmothers or your fathers and grandfathers. It’s a familial/historical thing. It’s an indication of your culture and your history. You can tell where someone’s from by the weave of their dress. That’s important, that’s interesting, and that’s another way of communicating your history and your culture. I’m seeing a lot of that, and we have some of that here as well.
What does working with VOLTA mean to you personally? Has there been a particularly inspiring moment in your journey with the fair?
When I was approached I was really excited, because I’ve always loved VOLTA. It was always an interesting fair. When I was standing in my gallery’s Armory booth in New York, I would go next door to VOLTA, and if I was at the fair in Basel, I'd go there to find out the new thing that I wouldn’t have heard about before. I think for me a lot of it is about the community, and really connecting with these fantastic galleries we are representing.
I love that. There’s so much good energy, and that’s really inspiring for me. And it’s nice to be at the centre of this, where I can help people to connect with each other as well.
When I was approached I was really excited, because I’ve always loved VOLTA. It was always an interesting fair. When I was standing in my gallery’s Armory booth in New York, I would go next door to VOLTA, and if I was at the fair in Basel, I'd go there to find out the new thing that I wouldn’t have heard about before. I think for me a lot of it is about the community, and really connecting with these fantastic galleries we are representing.
I love that. There’s so much good energy, and that’s really inspiring for me. And it’s nice to be at the centre of this, where I can help people to connect with each other as well.
What are your plans for the next 5 years for this art fair?
We’re here, and we’ve got a contract here for the foreseeable future. I don’t want to get too big; we have more space available, we can expand, but I like the size of the fair. Nobody gets missed. I always say to the gallerists that there is no bad location in this fair: everyone can see everything. So, I don’t want to get much bigger; maybe we’ll go to 80 galleries next year. I want to continue developing the programming: you know, the talks programs and events around them. And next year I’m looking at finding new ways of getting really early-stage galleries into the fair. Because Basel’s expensive, it’s not easy for young galleries to do an art fair at all. So we’re looking at new strategies to help that.
We’re here, and we’ve got a contract here for the foreseeable future. I don’t want to get too big; we have more space available, we can expand, but I like the size of the fair. Nobody gets missed. I always say to the gallerists that there is no bad location in this fair: everyone can see everything. So, I don’t want to get much bigger; maybe we’ll go to 80 galleries next year. I want to continue developing the programming: you know, the talks programs and events around them. And next year I’m looking at finding new ways of getting really early-stage galleries into the fair. Because Basel’s expensive, it’s not easy for young galleries to do an art fair at all. So we’re looking at new strategies to help that.
Contributor: Daria Neuhaus
Cover: VOLTA Artistic Director Lee Cavaliere. Photo @ Christa Holka