VOLTA began life as a collaboration between art dealers, gallerists and friends. Over 19 years, we have proudly maintained this professional community as the foundation of each of our fairs in Basel and New York.
Both editions involve collaboration with a network of local and global partners, advisors and art experts to root ourselves within both the local cultural economy and international art networks.
Photo by Christa Holka
Meet the team
Lee Cavaliere | VOLTA Artistic Director
Cavaliere holds experience in both the institutional and gallery sector having worked with the world-famous collection displays of Tate and delivering contemporary exhibitions at Max Wigram Gallery, London.
Cavaliere co-founded the world's first online art museum VOMA, is founder of the arts education charity The Sixteen Trust, and works with numerous charitable and community based projects internationally. With this intention, he is committed to spotlighting new artistic perspectives and emphasizing access for galleries to the emerging markets.
“We live in a different world than just a few years ago. People are more discerning and mindful of engaging with socially conscious art. “
“VOLTA is a unique art fair that has always aligned with art trends in the emerging markets. I aim to continue to look to the future and provide more access to emerging and diverse artistic voices. We will connect collectors with the unexpected and push the boundaries of what has been seen in this space before.”
Francesca Starling
Operations Manager
Emily Harris
Marketing Manager
Eleanor Maskatiya
Marketing Executive
Meet our Advisory Board
VOLTA's Advisory Board consists of individuals with a deep understanding of both international and local business and cultural landscapes. Their purpose is to enhance the fair's network by leveraging their diverse expertise.
Advisory Board | USA
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Kai Lan (凯岚)
Kai Lan (凯岚), a former international capital markets and securities lawyer turned cultural ambassador and poet, has been active in the cultural and literary scene both in China and internationally. She is the Founder and Director of Art Saves Us, a charitable organization established during COVID-19 which helped raise money for the UK NHS, She founded and curated the First International Poetry Festival in Shanghai in partnership with the Shanghai government. She curated the art exhibition "Blue Dialogue" in Shanghai, Hangzhou and Shenzhen for Nobel Literature Nominee Adonis in 2016 and 2017. Kai Lan is a poet and also a well-known translator of Ezra Pound's cantos.
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Ola and Maya Rondiak
Ola and Maya Rondiak are contemporary artists who join the VOLTA Advisory Board as a mother daughter duo, bringing a cross-generational outlook to their experiences living between New York and Ukraine. Ola’s painting practice stems from her family’s experiences living in Ukraine during the historical events of World War II, Stalin's Iron Curtain, the pivotal moments of the Orange Revolution in 2004, and the Revolution of Dignity in 2014. Her work was exhibited at VOLTA New York 2023 with Alessandro Berni Gallery . Maya is a multifaceted artist and activist. Releasing music under the name Maya Mor, she weaves influences from her cultural heritage into the music and into the global issues she raises awareness to through her platforms.
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Maryana Kaliner
Maryana Kaliner is the founder of FORMah gallery, an entrepreneur, and finance professional specializing in business strategy and development. Formerly focused on high-volume deals and mergers and acquisitions in the global tech industry, Kaliner shifted to the art world in 2021. FORMah Gallery holds a mission to shine a light on female-identifying artists. Kaliner is a frequent public speaker and is actively involved in organizations that empower women. She holds an Executive MA in Negotiation and Decision Making in International Relations and a BA in Economics.
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Rob Fields
Rob Fields is the founder & CEO of Mighty Mighty LLC, an art consultancy and art advisory firm that connects collectors and institutions to today's new and emerging artists who will be tomorrow's household names. Rob's professional career spans decades, during which he led cultural institutions, represented artists, produced events and indie film, did PR, and worked on account teams at New York City marketing agencies and trade associations.
Advisory Board | Middle East and Africa
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William Kaafarani
William Kaafarani is Chairman and Managing Director of MENA Global Group. Prior to his own ventures and initiatives, Kaafarani has served leadership roles in business development, providing consultancy and investment advisory services to American Express and GE Capital. An avid traveler of 56 countries, Kaafarni brings with him deep knowledge of emerging markets in the Middle East North Africa (MENA).
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Pamela Hraoui
Pamela Hraoui is a multi-disciplinary designer and art director from Beirut, Lebanon. Hraoui brings a wealth of international experience delivering projects in arts and communication across the Gulf, EU, Africa, Latin America and Australia. With experience at M&C Saatchi, Quantum, and LBCI, she has won multiple international awards including the Dubai Lynx Jury Award. Through all her work she brings her unique political experiences to drive her ethos and narrative.
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Vincent Ugokwe
Vincent is a Nigerian- American arts dealer & curator who grew up in Nigeria and the United States. As the founder of Doziearts, he promotes contemporary African art & artists and provides an art advisory service. He has also curated several solo and group art exhibitions with significant African artists. In 2020, Vincent was covered by Fox 5 NY in regards to a commissioned portrait of George Floyd. The painting was commissioned by a member of the Floyd family, and the gallery took on the work Pro Bono.
Advisory Board | Europe
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Sheila Arora
Sheila Arora is Vice-Chair of the Brussels based Europe-Asia Center, communications veteran and curator of concepts and partnerships. Having lived and worked throughout Asia, New York, Italy and Central Europe, London-born Arora has a passion for bringing ideas to life with her career focus in art, cultural diplomacy and luxury lifestyle.
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Nikki Nita Ramírez
Nikki Nita Ramírez is an art advisor, gallerist, and curator based between New York and London. Ramírez is the co-founder and co-director of Danuser & Ramírez, a contemporary art gallery based in London championing emerging artists with underrepresented voices. Her previous positions have been at The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, The Peggy Guggenheim Collection, and most recently, The Studio Museum in Harlem.
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Patrick Petermann
Patrick Petermann is a Swiss lawyer working as counsel for a multinational cooperation in the transportation sector. Born and living in Basel, he has been interested in the art world since his childhood. Today he actively supports the gallery business of Diana Vogel, his wife, who runs Galerie Katapult in Basel.
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Carolina Conforti
Carolina Conforti is an art historian, collector and writer. Born in Naples, Carolina studied in Switzerland and Paris. Her career has since taken her to the Louvre and Sotheby’s, Paris and Christie’s in London and on to launch Art Talk Magazine in 2020. She manages her own family’s art collection and is Editor-in-Chief of Art Investor magazine that focuses on the philanthropic, cultural and investment value of art.
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Christian Marx
Christian Marx founded the Christian Marx Galerie in Düsseldorf in 2009. The graduate economist previously worked as an art consultant for several years and now supports both emerging young and established mid-career artists. The gallery attracts both institutional and private collectors and is a member of the Federal Association of German Galleries and Editions.
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Julia Lechbinska
Julia Lechbinska’s eponymous gallery serves as a cultural bridge for East Asian contemporary art in Switzerland. Julia's journey commenced in wealth management, where she managed the East Asian market. This experience piqued her interest in the arts and culture of this region, prompting her to pursue a Master's in Art History. Julia further honed her skills through art expertise training and gained valuable experience working in an auction house before establishing her own gallery – Lechbinska Gallery based in Zurich.
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Francois Laurent Renet
Francois Laurent Renet entered the art world in New York working at L&M Arts, working alongside Dominique Lévy, in contemporary art to Old Masters. Working across the movie, gaming, VR and AR industries in California, Renet then advised start ups across the Art, Entertainment and Health and Wellness spaces. Most recently, Renet has launched Art Talk Magazine alongside Carolina Conforti.
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Harley Swedler
Harley Swedler is an architect, designer, artist, filmmaker, and writer working between Paris and New York. Harley worked at major architectural firms in New York before opening his own design atelier, where his work was acquired by The Jewish Museum for its permanent collection. As an artist and filmmaker, Harley’s work has been commissioned for exhibitions at the Jewish Museum Berlin, the Musée International des Arts Modestes, and TU Delft; in 2019 he was invited to present a curated selection of his videos at Palais de Tokyo in Paris.