VOLTA Art Fair Opens a New Chapter with a Love Letter to Basel

The 20th edition of VOLTA Basel, celebrated from 19 - 22 June (VIP Preview 18 June), closed its doors last night with twice as many visitors than the year before and reports of solid and considered sales, reflective of the discerning market. With collectors visiting from across the globe and a complimentary day for Basel residents as part of the fair’s 20th anniversary celebrations, VOLTA’s relocation to a bigger, central venue just 2 minutes from Art Basel has been highly praised. The optimistic atmosphere of the preview day on Wednesday was upheld until doors closed on Sunday.

More than 70 Swiss and international galleries from 29 countries participated in VOLTA Basel, showcasing a dynamic mix of established and emerging talent; spotlighting curated SOLO presentations; debuting FIRSTS; encouraging cross-cultural dialogue through a dedicated Middle East North African Pavilion; and celebrating the vibrant presence of Swiss galleries.

“We’ve had a thrilling week in our new home in the Messeplatz with promising sales and a brilliant atmosphere. We are excited to build on this strong foundational year as VOLTA enters its next decade. That fair’s 20-year success is thanks to the incredible community of gallerists, collectors and visitors who’ve grown with us — and we’re immensely proud of the sense of community we’ve built as a team. We’re also deeply grateful to the city of Basel for its continued support, and we’re already looking ahead to our next edition at Messeplatz”, comments VOLTA’s Artistic Director, Lee Cavaliere.

Swiss galleries included Galerie Katapult (Basel, Switzerland), Lechbinska Gallery (Zürich, Switzerland), Keller Galerie (Zürich, Switzerland), Galerie WOS (Pfäffikon, Switzerland), Galerie Alex Schlesinger (Zürich, Switzerland), BK Chromatic Galerie (Zürich, Switzerland) and Fabienne Levy (Lausanne, Switzerland).

With the growth of the fair, there has been an uptick of international galleries. From the US, VOLTA presented Ethan Cohen Gallery, The Bishop Gallery, LATITUDE Gallery (New York, US) and Wolf & Nomad (Miami, USA) amongst others. A stronghold of European galleries also returned including Galerie Andreas Binder (Munich, Germany), Galleri Ramfjord (Oslo, Norway), TAMARA KREISLER (Madrid, Spain), Isolina Arbulu (Marbella, Spain), Galerie Delaive (Amsterdam, Netherlands) and Mark Hachem (Paris, France), as well as BIOSKOP BALKAN (Belgrade, Serbia), Priveekollektie Contemporary Art | Design (Heusden, Netherlands), Galerie One (Paris, France) and Bilous Gallery (Vienna, Austria) who made their debut. VOLTA also saw a rise in its Asian gallery presence, from five last year to 17 this year with seven from East Asia including Gallery H.A.N (Seoul, South Korea), Studio Arrows (Koto-ku, Japan), AN INC., (Seoul, South Korea), and seven from the Middle East.

This year, a section of the fair was dedicated to the Middle East and North Africa region. The MENA Pavilion, curated by Randa Sadaka, highlights the distinct artistic narratives, cultural heritage, and contemporary expressions of the region with participating galleries including Fann À Porter (Dubai, UAE), Khawla Art Gallery (Abu Dhabi, UAE), Maya Art Space (Beirut, Lebanon), Mojdeh Gallery (Tehran, Iran), Le Lab (Cairo, Egypt) and Errm Art Gallery (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia).

In the words of Randa Sadaka, “curating the MENA Pavilion has been more than a curatorial exercise — it has been a deeply personal act of engagement. In this fragile moment for our region, art serves as both a means of reflection and resilience, offering space for stories that demand to be seen and heard”.

New-York based collector and art advisor, Bibi Naz Zavieh, reflects on the growth of the MENA art market, commenting that, "I've been working with artists and art from this region for almost 20 years now. When I started, the artists there were quite isolated. An artist from Beirut, for example, was only collected by Lebanese collectors. Now there is much more international exchange".

Swiss TV outlet SRF's G&G summarised VOLTA as "a fair which shows the diversity of the world, in good times and in bad times".

Sales were strong, with most activity centered in the CHF 10,000 - 50,000 range, as well as reports of works sold for over CHF 200,000. A major Scandinavian institution acquired work by Adéla Janská, represented by Adrian Sutton Gallery whilst Artbridger’s launch of their innovative machine learning artist collaboration, between artist Hong Wai and Sophia the Robot, received healthy support from prominent Swiss Collectors. Key collectors and institutions represented included leadership from the Albertina Museum in Vienna, Espace Louis Vuitton München, the Bonnefanten Museum Maastricht, as well as notable Swiss business and diplomatic figures, and esteemed private collectors.

A high number of international collectors enjoyed the celebratory excitement of the anniversary, experiencing a fair centered on artistic diversity, innovation, and global perspectives. Collector Ines Hüvel reflects on her experience at the fair, stating that, “You are encouraged to question your own reality a little more, especially when the other perspective is so readily available. And I think that this is a very good idea. That art connects internationally and provides new insights”.

The 2025 edition of VOLTA sought to honor the city of Basel and on Friday 20 June (11:00 - 16:00), Basel residents were invited to experience VOLTA with complimentary access as a gesture of appreciation for the city's long-standing support of the fair. The fair welcomed over 2000 Basel residents on Friday alone.

In addition, the fair presented a programme entitled ENGAGE & EMERGE, in which a series of talks served as a forum for exchange and dialogue. The programme included discussions surrounding the geopolitics of the art market, women in the art world, and how galleries emerge.

Applications to participate in VOLTA Basel 2026 will open next month. Please contact info@voltashow.com to express interest in applying to VOLTA Basel 2026 and follow VOLTA’s website and social media to stay updated.

VOLTA Basel 20th Edition has also attracted strong international and national press coverage, with features, mentions and reviews in The Art Newspaper, Exibart, Artnet, Il Giornale dell’Arte, Artsy, Monocle, NZZ, Telebasel and more to come.

Here’s a glimpse:

“Runde Geburtstage: Die Entdeckermessen Liste und VOLTA jubilieren” | Dominique Spirgi

“VOLTA Basel 2025 è una lettera d’amore alla città” | Erica Roccella

“Liste and Volta, both stalwart Basel satellite fairs, celebrate major anniversaries” | Carlie Porterfield

“Lee Cavaliere: Der Kunstkurator hat keine Angst, um Hilfe zu bitten - fürchtet aber, dass sich seine sizilianischen Wurzeln durchsetzen” | Zuza Speckert

“I vent’anni di VOLTA Basel secondo il suo direttore artistico, Lee Cavaliere” | Silvia Conta

“VOLTA Basel to mark its 20th edition with expanded programming during Art Basel 2025” | Josie Thaddeus-Johns

“VOLTA Art feiert Umzug und Jubiläum” | Mario Brunner

“A fair to remember: Highlights from the upcoming Art Basel in Basel” | Millie McArthur

“Asian Dealers showed up in Basel” | Vivienne Chow