Interview with Amanda Coulson – Director of Volta
VOLTA NY is an invitational show of solo artists’ projects and is the American incarnation of the successful young fair founded in Basel in 2005. VOLTA NY was conceived by art critic and fair director Amanda Coulson to continue the original mandate of a tightly-focused, boutique event that is a place for discovery. Both Basel and New York fairs provide a showcase for current art production and relevant contemporary positions regardless of the artist or gallery’s age.
By putting the focus back on artists through exclusively featuring solo projects, VOLTA NY promotes a deep exploration of the work of its selected projects, an opportunity for discoveries that move beyond those afforded by a traditional art fair. While many fairs provide a broader overview, with more represented artists in each booth, visitors to VOLTA NY compare the experience to a more focused series of intense studio visits.
A platform for challenging, often complimentary, sometimes competing ideas about contemporary art, the strictly solo format is what gives the New York fair its unique character.