Viewing Volta NY

DISPATCH - Mar 6, 2012 (5:50 p.m.)

NEW YORK, NY

It’s no secret that New York City is bracing for four days of intense art viewing. No fewer than 10 art fairs are set to converge on a city already chock full of great art. Most of the fairs have previews on Thursday (Mar 8). At the center of the whirlwind is The Armory Show. Not to be overlooked is Volta NY.

Volta NY is the sister show to The Armory Show, and the complementary art fairs share more than family ties. Shuttles carry fairgoers between the two. A dual pass for admission is offered online. VIPs at one fair have privileges at the other. The differences between the two are breadth and presentation.

The Armory Show is divided into two sections: one focused on Modern Art (Pier 92) and the other on contemporary (Pier 94). Art is typically presented by galleries in group exhibitions, although this year’s fair has a new section for solo projects. There are around 220 exhibitors participating in the art show.

Volta NY is presenting 80 galleries from 25 countries and 45 cities. HALSEY MCKAY GALLERY of East Hampton is among them (see separate post to follow shortly). All of the art is contemporary. The big difference is emphasis: Volta NY is made up of solo exhibitions presented by galleries invited to participate.

Volta’s aim is to offer an art fair that is a "tightly-focused, boutique event that is a place for discovery," according to a release. The experience has been likened to visiting a “focused series of intense studio visits” by art critic Amanda Coulson, who conceived the art fair. VOLTA is the American incarnation of the fair founded in Basel, Switzerland in 2005.

Volta NY's opening day will include a live taping of Art/Trek NYC, a new cable television series portraying a quest for emerging artistic talent in the five NYC boroughs. Performances are part of Volta NY. For instance, "BOOMI" mixes boom boxes, iPad apps, audio interfaces and dance performances with fair visitors in a "celebration of technology, creativity, physicality and art," according to a release.

Open Forum, a series of panel discussions, will be held at Volta NY to highlight the Nordic focus presented at The Armory Show. The Volta NY lineup includes international curators, journalists, writers, artists and editors.

A full lineup of exhibiting artists, galleries, programs and performances can be found at http://ny.voltashow.com. In the meantime, here's a peek at some of the art that will be exhibited:

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"Glass Girl" by Timotheus Tomicek, 2011. Video installation. Courtesy Jenkins Johnson Gallery.

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"Seer" by Nicola Samori, 2011. Oil on wood, 41.7 x 36.2 inches. Courtesy LARMgalleri.

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"From where the sun now stands," by Andreas Johansson, 2011. Pop-up book, unique. Courtesy galleri flach.

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"little black mess" by Lotte Van den Audenaeren, 2008. Photograph on dibond, 1/1, 39.37 x 29.52 inches. Courtesy Galerie Fortlaan 17.

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"Honeydripper" by Jeff Perrott, 2011. Oil on linen, 72 x 60 inches. Courtesy LaMontagne Gallery.

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"Coward" by Patrick Brennan. Courtesy HALSEY MCKAY GALLERY.

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"Charmer" by Aakash Nihalani, 2010. Video. Courtesy Carmichael Gallery.

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"Veil" by Janet Werner, 2011. Oil on canvas, 60 x 48 inches. Courtesy Parisian Laundry.

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"Hairoism" by Ashery Oreet, 2001. C-print, 43 x 55 inches. Courtesy Pristine Gallery.

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BASIC INFO: VOLTA NY is being held from Mar 8 to 11 at 7 West 34th Street between 5th & 6th Avenue, New York, NY. Hours are Thursday from 2 to 7 p.m. and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday to Sunday. Tickets are $15 or $40 for a dual pass with The Armory Show. The dual pass can be purchased online via Volta's website. A shuttle runs between the two fairs. http://ny.voltashow.com

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Want to know what’s happening in the Hamptons art community? How about the North Fork or NYC? Visit HamptonsArtHub.com to find out.

There’s plenty of art news, art fair coverage and artists with a Hamptons / North Fork connection.

Hamptons Art Hub. Art Unrestricted.

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