PRESS RELEASE

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VOLTA 2026

Hall 4.U, Congress Center, Basel
17 - 21 June 2026
VIP Preview Day: 17 June, 10am - 2pm

Following its most successful edition to date, VOLTA returns to Basel from 17 - 21 June 2026. Entering its third decade of fostering cutting-edge creativity, the fair has long been a springboard for emerging talent and an incubator for ideas that shape the future of contemporary art. Located just a two-minute walk from Art Basel and the central Messeplatz, VOLTA 2026 is set to showcase over 70 galleries from across the globe.

Filafriques, Reggie Khumalo, *Victories in Vines*, 2024, acrylic and fabric on canvas, 200 x 300cm

New and Returning Galleries

Following the success of last year’s 20th anniversary edition, VOLTA is delighted to welcome back a variety of galleries including Galerie Barbara von Stechow (Frankfurt) who will bring together artists exploring the relationship between movement and stillness through painting and sculpture. Also returning this year is Rukh Art Hub (New York) presenting a curatorial project exploring the body, desire, identity, and cultural memory.

VOLTA is pleased to welcome a selection of galleries making their debut at the fair this year including Galeria HGZ (Mexico) presenting a publication which assembles the complete series of 111 drawings by artist Enrique Minjares Padilla - a collection of visual "verses" that capture both collective and personal unconscious realms. Also new to the fair this year is Filafriques (Geneva) a black woman owned gallery, run by Carine Biley, committed to promoting contemporary African art.

Rebecca Hossack Gallery, Naomi Hobson, *Girlfriends*, 2025, pigment print on archival cotton rag paper, 62.5 x 95.5 cm

Everywhen: Contemporary Aboriginal Art

VOLTA’s 2026 thematic Pavilion endeavours to tell the powerful stories of contemporary Aboriginal artists whose work holds universal significance and power. Anchored in the concept of “Everywhen,” the Pavilion explores the Indigenous concept of time as a continuum in which the past, present and future coexist simultaneously. Aboriginal Australians hold a history extending back more than 65,000 years. The Pavilion will connect visitors to VOLTA with these ancient histories, ancestral mythologies, cultural traditions, and the vibrant contemporary art practices being created today.

Featuring galleries Arts d’Australie (Australia), representing Konstantina (Kate Constantine), a Gadigal woman of the Eora nation and a neocontemporary Indigenous artist; Knight Fine Art (Australia) and Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery (London), amongst others. The Pavilion brings together a community of artists, curators and gallerists that include Aboriginal Australian voices alongside collaborators with long-standing experience working with Indigenous Australian art and cultures. With thanks to Museum Partner, Fondation Burkhardt-Felder.

A new section: Frische!

Frische! highlights bold and innovative approaches from emerging galleries, and those with distinctive curatorial methods. A dynamic and energetic group of 10 galleries, this section showcases fresh voices and experimental practices at the forefront of the contemporary art market. Participating galleries include Donna Art (Taiwan) presenting a solo booth by FU Hau-Shiuan whose oil paintings examine the relationship between physical and psychological reality. Another gallery participating in Frische! is Chong Gallery (Geneva) who will be presenting works by Spanish artist Marcus Navarro whose paintings explore the fragile relationship between humans and the natural world. Chong Gallery will also present works by Jokin Sortwo, whose practice emerges from the visual language of street culture while engaging with the history of painting.

The full list of exhibitors at VOLTA 2026 will be announced in April.

Rukh Art Hub, Nina Murakshina, *Lover Boy*, 2025, Ceramic, underglaze drawing, gold, triple fire, 32cm

Liebs Basel, Viele Dangg, VOLTA: Complimentary Access for Basel Residents

The love letter to Basel continues: In partnership with This is Basel, the 2026 edition of VOLTA will again pay tribute to the fair’s founding city of Basel. For the second year, Basel residents are invited to experience VOLTA and a special program with complimentary access from 19 - 21 June, 2 - 4pm, as a gesture of appreciation for the city's long-standing support of the fair.

Powering the Future of Collecting

VOLTA has championed emerging voices for over 20 years and offered an entry point to market for gallerists, artists and collectors alike. Now, it is this sector driving the majority volume of global transactions. The fair serves as a vital entry point for new and younger collectors, shaping future demand and strengthening long-term market resilience. VOLTA’s Artistic Director, Lee Cavaliere, highlights the significance of this year’s 21st edition, stating that:

“The fair returns to Basel for a 21st edition with renewed energy and vigour, as we see the emerging and mid-career artists retaining incredible energy across the international art market. With renewed optimism, we celebrate and reaffirm our core ethos: platforming underrepresented voices and engaging with the societal concerns reflected in the work of our presenting artists."

The EMERGE + ENGAGE program will continue to create a space for further conversations to unfold in real time. Through encounters, exchanges, and activations that connect audiences to new ideas, VOLTA aims to demonstrate what it means to collect, create and connect with intention. Details of the program will be announced in April.

Knight Fine Art, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, *UNTITLED*, 1993, Acrylic On Linen, 905x1310

Notes to Editors:

High-resolution images are available on request.

Press Accreditation

For press accreditation, please submit your registration information:

https://www.voltaartfairs.com/press-accreditation

VOLTA 2026 Opening Hours

Tuesday 16 June: VIP First Look: 6 - 8pm, strictly invitation only

Wednesday 17 June: VIP Preview 10am - 2pm, General Opening 2 - 8pm

Thursday 18 June: 10am - 7pm

Friday 19 June: 10am - 8pm

Saturday 20 June: 11am - 7pm

Sunday 21 June: 11am - 6pm

Tickets on sale in April.

Follow us on Instagram at @voltaartfairs for ticket offers and further news from our galleries and artists.

Driving Force Report

The Driving Force Report presented by Ramsay Fairs and ArtTactic will be published in April. This is the first comprehensive study dedicated exclusively to the affordable tier of the art market, defined as works priced below $50,000.

Media Partners:

The Art Newspaper

Kunstbulletin

Weltkunst

PROZ

Collectors Agenda

artprice.com

Follow Art

Cultural Partners:

This is Basel

Swiss Peace

Vitra Design Museum