FIRSTS | A curated space dedicated to the new
5 minute read
VOLTA’s evolution hinges on its community of galleries. With an almost 20-year legacy of presenting renowned galleries alongside supporting the emerging into the contemporary art market space, the 2024 edition of VOLTA Basel proudly presents FIRSTS - a new, curated section of the fair designed to platform exhibitors coming to Basel for the first time.
Dear Anushka, Open Call (2023) Photography. Courtesy Perve Galeria
This year, FIRSTS features nine galleries, each with a unique identity and vision. Explore emerging themes such as environmentalism, international representation, new materials, and playful experimentation and join the journey of gallerists and artists as they navigate their way through the contemporary market at VOLTA FIRSTS.
VOLTA FIRSTS 2024
Preview four new faces from our FIRSTS initiative.
Odds and Ends, Hong Kong
Located in Hong Kong, Odds and Ends nurture new talent from the Asian diaspora. Within VOLTA FIRSTS, their booth will showcase two artists – Amber Ng and Scott Sueme – at the fair. Ng’s multimedia practice spans sculpture, glass drawing and digital media, with work rooted in the balance between technological and industrial processes. Her work explores the nature of playgrounds and the ephemeral acts of play.
Portrait of artist Amber Ng. Courtesy of Odds and Ends.
Amber Ng, Movement in playground Swinging I (2022), Pen and robotically assisted drawing, Set of 3, 42x59.4cm. Courtesy of Odds and Ends.
TAMARA KREISLER, Spain
Expect color, positive energy, and original talent in the roster of four artists TAMARA KREISLER presents for the first time at VOLTA.
Nick Brandt will be a highlight of their booth with his photographic series that shines a light on the destructive effect of humanity on the natural world. Impactful and full of depth, he portrays wildlife with reverence and respect, never neglecting to highlight animals as not so dissimilar to ourselves.
Nick Brandt, Petero by Cliff, Fiji (2023) Photography, 101 x 135 cm. Courtesy of TAMARA KREISLER Gallery
Lagos, Mexico
The VOLTA FIRSTS galleries share our commitment to community. Mexico-based Lagos aim to recognize the needs of their community, building resilient infrastructure around the creative output of the artists they represent.
Discover work by Aurora Pellizzi, who produces pre-industrial textiles combined with painting and sculptural techniques. The technicality of her process results in contrastingly free-feeling texture, shape and form. Pellizzi will feature alongside Luis Carrera-Maul, Guillermo Olguín and Sofia Fernández.
Portrait of artist Aurora Pellizzi. Courtesy of Lagos
Aurora Pellizzi ,Punto de Fuga (2020) 69x69in. Courtesy of Lagos
Wolf and Nomad, USA
A sense of discovery will be central to Wolf & Nomad’s presentation, who join us from Miami to showcase Latin America’s most exciting mid-career artists. They seek to bring fresh perspectives to the everyday, with work from four artists – Alejandra Aristizabal, Christian Abusaid, Carla Freschi, and Jimena – who all bring a soft, yet dynamic, approach that pushes boundaries.
Wolf and Nomad display featuring (left to right) Carla Freschi, Luciano Denver, Alejandra Aristizabal and Christian Abusaid at Art Basel Miami
Acquaint yourselves with our full roster of galleries participating in FIRSTS this year, in Basel, by visiting our exhibitor list.