Venturing into the Volta Vortex

In the typical fashion of this less stuffy art fair, a mind-numbing mix of showy and subtle artworks offers something for everyone.

In its 16th year, Volta returns to the Big Apple for its annual contemporary art fair. The five-day event kicked off Wednesday, May 17, at the Metropolitan Pavilion — a loft-style event space off Sixth Avenue in Chelsea. White-walled booths arranged in a maze-like fashion showcased works from over 50 international galleries — some new, some returning, and 14 of which had presentations dedicated to individual artists.

Volta is less stuffy than its ostensibly highbrow counterparts like Frieze, and the fair’s mind-numbing mix of showy and subtle works offered something for everyone — whether that’s another piece to add to your personal collection or a nice visual for your social media feed. That being said, while there was no shortage of QR codes (there was one accompanying each artwork), I was relieved by the lack of “free PR” ploys that tend to take form in Instagram gimmicks and TikTok tomfoolery vying for posts and shares.

The fair’s Managing Director Cristina Salmastrelli described the process of organizing the event as a “labor of love.”

“Volta has seen many changes since its founding from owner and leadership to venue locations and exhibition programs, but the core value of nurturing the artists has remained intact,” Salmastrelli said. 

This year’s fair specifically spotlighted female artists from around the world, so it’s no surprise that most of the works I gravitated toward were created by women. At the booth of Cam Galería, based in Mexico City, I found my eyes lingering on a curious collection of long-limbed resin figurines by Alejandra España.

The Mexican multimedia artist had several different works up, including some large-format neon collages and a massive golden tapestry, but her candy-colored characters, delicately arranged on a low table in front of her prints, were a delightful display, especially in comparison to some of the more grandiose sculptures by other galleries. 

The haunting faces in Ola Rondiak’s stand-alone exhibition Cultural Front by the fair’s café were another draw for me. In her presentation consisting of 18 small works, the American-Ukrainian artist uses collage, portraiture…

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