VOLTA Voices is a recurring interview series with vanguards of the contemporary art world, whose insights into their experiences, concerns, and practices exemplify the very best of creative culture today. More than simply experts, these friends of VOLTA are supporters, colleagues, friends, family.
For this edition, Kamiar Maleki speaks with A. Moret, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of VOLTA’s long-time media partner Installation Magazine.
Kamiar Maleki: Dear A. Moret, tell us a bit about yourself and your journey in the art world.
A. Moret: I saw my first installation at the age of four. I have photographic evidence of my visit to Jean-Claude and Cristo’s large-scale environmental installation of “The Umbrellas.” While I wasn’t certain quite what to make of the 18-mile stretch of yellow umbrellas stretched along the Tejon Pass, I knew without a doubt that they were important. Perhaps it was then that my love of art, specifically installation art began but I frequently revisit that photograph to remind myself to always look at the art with unfiltered wonderment.
My journey in the art world is best characterized as forging a path of my own once I realized that my passions could not be contained within the confines of a straight and narrow road. After receiving my Bachelor’s degree in both Art History and Mass Communication Theory from USC, I landed an editorial internship at the newly relaunched Los Angeles Times Magazine.
A. Moret, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Installation Magazine
Working in the historic building in Downtown Los Angeles and being a part of a small staff of writers and editors was invaluable because I came to understand the power of collaboration and what it takes for a story to come together. I climbed the ranks from intern to full-time staff member working alongside the Senior Editor and conducting research and interviews. On the same day, I was accepted to graduate school for an MFA in writing, my first article was published. The accomplishment of my first byline far outweighed my original plans to continue my education. As I started to gain my footing in the editorial world, I began reaching out to every local and national art publication that I discovered on my weekend adventures to galleries. I believe in the power of manifestation and persistence- I kept knocking on doors and waited patiently for them to open. Once they did, I was prepared to commit every waking second to honing my skills as a writer, interviewer, and editor. After two years I had achieved my first goal of becoming a published writer and my tenure at the Los Angeles Times was invaluable but it had run its course. Without missing a beat, Installation Magazine was founded and it has granted me the opportunity to travel the world visiting artist’s studios, attending art fairs, curating installation-based work, and developing media partnerships with passionate teams like VOLTA.
Kamiar Maleki: There are quite a few online magazines out there, how does Installation Magazine differ and what is your mission and your values?
A. Moret: When Installation Magazine was founded in 2011, it was first introduced as a printed publication. Originally produced as a limited run, I had to decide before committing to a larger order. While I love the tactile sensation of holding an object and flipping through its pages and seeing its spine on my bookshelf, I realized that Installation Magazine seemed to disappear in the landscape of equally beautiful and glossy publications that were on the newsstands I frequented.
My interest in the bourgeoning offerings available on the Apple Newsstand on my iPad inspired a 180-degree pivot and reconsider the entire publication as an immersive digital offering that could act as a portal inside a work of art, in a way that no static image could. It took nearly six months for the printed version of Installation to come to life, and while all of the content was finalized, building the magazine from scratch using In Design and Photoshop was as equally labor-intensive. At this point, Apple had announced the Retina display on their iPads however the use case for the tablet was still unknown. When “California,” the debut issue was released, the editors at Apple took notice and soon we amassed an organic international readership. Installation Magazine is the first-all digital Contemporary Art publication designed for the iPad and iPhone. Over the past decade, the publication has undergone many iterations from printed to quarterly digital issues, then weekly issues, and then found an archive online. I wanted to create a publication with a tone that was approachable and make the reader feel as though they are sitting in the artist’s studio, learning about the narrative of their practice.
The very first special issue VOLTA cover for VOLTA’s first partnership with Installation Magazine.
I had spent years writing for national publications that preferred a strict review format and while that was instrumental in developing my skills in writing about art, it was not the direction that I wanted to continue. I wanted to shift the focus from the technical to the personal, focusing on interviews, profiles, and studio visits. The ethos of Installation Magazine has always been that we want to make art a source of conversation and not intimidation.
I believe that the integration of technology made it possible for readers to get excited about a visceral reading experience whilst immersing themselves in artwork in great detail. Installation pioneered moving covers that were collaborations with artists including Beeple, Jen Stark, and FriendsWithYou. I always knew that I wanted to revisit the moving covers and now as we enter Installation 3.0 in the Web3 space, it feels like the perfect moment to explore the magazine as an NFT where each cover is dedicated to a single artist. While we will begin to implement new technology, we remain steadfast in our philosophy.
Kamiar Maleki: At VOLTA Art Fair we collaborate with galleries representing and investing in artists and their careers. How has Installation Magazine supported VOLTA over the past years?
A. Moret: VOLTA and Installation have had an effortless synergy since we first began working together in 2014 in New York at the space on Mercer Street. I remember receiving an email from the VOLTA team moments before stepping onto a subway proposing a media partnership. It feels fitting that eight years later we return to New York together and incorporated the subway car in our limited edition moving cover to commemorate our partnership. The momentum inherent to the metro and the city of New York felt apropos to the “volts” of energy inherent in the VOLTA ethos.
We are both aligned in our commitment to maintaining a close-knit team who are fiercely passionate about every facet of the artist and gallerist’s journey. The artists featured in VOLTA and Installation have a story that weaves a dynamic tapestry of process, experimentation, and willingness to step outside of the proverbial box or white cube. Our willingness to stand behind emerging galleries and place their work front and center requires a clear vision, even if no one else can immediately see it. If Installation Magazine were to become an art fair it would undoubtedly be VOLTA.
Kamiar Maleki: With a special focus on NFTs and digital art, how do you see NFTs impact on the art market in the future?
A. Moret: NFT’s have ignited an excitement surrounding art that I have not felt since I first began writing about art. The blockchain has extended an opportunity to artists working in traditional formats like photography, painting, and sculpture and has presented the chance to experiment with existing bodies of work and approach them from an entirely new perspective. I see NFTs as an extension of an artist’s practice rather than a defining term. There is liberation in a decentralized space as it allows full transparency not only with provenance and receiving royalties in the secondary market but allowing for the artist and collector to connect in a deeply personal way. The word “community” is often associated with NFTs because it represents an entire world of passionate, engaging, and supportive collectors and creators who no longer feel isolated in their pursuit of learning and collecting.
I do believe that the traditional gallery model and NFT spaces can co-exist however we need to define clear boundaries of where the gallery starts and the metaverse begins. In my interview with MGXS, he articulated this very question best when he said that we cannot “copy and paste” the familiarity and constraints of the traditional gallery structure with NFTs rather they maintain autonomy. The methodology that guides the gallery operates on a set of procedures that have remained relatively unchanged. Once we recognize how the metaverse can enhance the narrative established IRL, we can begin to successfully develop hybrid models. I do believe that the success of co- existence begins with an open mind.
Kamiar Maleki: Do you collect art yourself? And which advice would you give to the next generation of collectors that are making their first steps into the art world, especially in these current times?
A. Moret: I grew up in a family that expressed deep respect for the arts and collecting and that curiosity was passed on to me. The walls of my childhood home were adorned in a salon-style of works that reflected my parent’s journey as they discovered emerging artists throughout their 40 years of marriage along with playful pieces including original and signed animation cels from Hanna-Barbera and an assortment of exquisite guitars. My dad believed that the craftsmanship and design of guitars was an art form to be celebrated and that guitars should be displayed on the wall so that they could be enjoyed with the same ease as it was to pick them up and play. It seemed that everyone in my family had a collection- my late grandfather traveled the world and collected miniature soldiers, my mom navigated through endless swap meets to find authentic McCoy and I began collecting Beatles memorabilia. The joy of collecting was a tradition that began at a young age.
The limited edition logo designed for VOLTA in Basel celebrating its 10th year in the gold color way.
I began collecting art when my career as a writer formally began. I would commission artists for small works and establish payment plans with galleries for larger pieces. I have been fortunate to have received artworks as gifts that I treasure and could never part ways with. Soon, I ran out of wall space, but the collection traveled with me every place I lived and it transformed white walls into a home. When I look at my collection I know the exact story behind it-the article written, aromas from the studio, but more than anything I feel permanently connected to that artist. My collection tells my story, the first chapter anyway in what remains of my lifetime. I believe in the power of collecting but I also recognize it can feel rather ominous when one doesn’t quite know where to begin.
I am often amazed at how many times I speak with people who tell me that they feel apprehensive about walking into a gallery. From the perspective of someone who many consider themselves a novice, they only see red tape instead of an invitation to view an exhibition. My retort is always the same and that is to set the apprehension inside, open the door and soak it in. It’s hard to build a collection when you don’t yet know what piques your interest. I believe in seeing as much artwork as possible as often as possible. Once you take the first step, a new world reveals itself.
Follow A. Moret on Instagram at @thatsamoret and connect with Installation Magazine at @installationmag.
VOLTA Voices, our initiative featuring interviews conducted by Director, Kamiar Maleki, who brings the voices of VOLTA’s past, present and future to our growing audience. Read the interview series on the blog and be sure to sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on all things VOLTA!