As it marks its 20th year, VOLTA fair expands its focus with new global perspectives, solo presentations, and a debut pavilion for Middle Eastern and North African artists.
VOLTA Basel returns this June for its 20th edition, marking two decades as a platform for emerging and lesser-known artistic voices. Now in a new venue—Hall 4.U at Messeplatz 21, a short distance from Basel’s central Art Week locations—the fair continues to spotlight a cross-section of contemporary practice from around the world.
Running from 19 to 22 June, with a collectors’ preview on 18 June, this year’s event brings together over 70 galleries from 29 countries. Alongside its exhibitions, the fair will host discussions addressing themes including gender representation in the art market, the effects of geopolitics on cultural exchange, and the structural dynamics of national and international art ecosystems.
The programme, titled Engage & Emerge, underlines the fair’s continued focus on the social, political, and economic forces shaping today’s cultural landscape.
Credit Phillip Reed
Long-Standing Participants and Returning Names
Several galleries familiar to the VOLTA circuit are returning this year. Among them: Galerie Andreas Binder (Munich), which first joined in 2013; Ethan Cohen Gallery (New York); and Gallery H.A.N (Seoul), both present since 2015. They are joined by others such as Creative Growth (Oakland), Galleri Ramfjord (Oslo), Galerie Delaive (Amsterdam), and Mark Hachem (Paris), who will exhibit work by Swiss artist Marck.
Wolf & Nomad (Miami) returns following its participation in the 2024 Firsts section, presenting work by Colombian artist Alejandr Aristizabal, whose use of fique fibre draws from longstanding Andean traditions. TAMARA KREISLER (Madrid) and Isolina Arbulu (Marbella) will share a stand showcasing two artists recognised by the Loewe Craft Prize: 2024 winner Andrés Anza and 2025 finalist Isabelle Marie Poirier Troyano.
New Arrivals and First-Time Participants
This year’s new participants include LATITUDE Gallery (New York), BIOSKOP BALKAN (Belgrade), and Priveekollektie Contemporary Art | Design (Heusden), presenting interactive and collectible works. Studio Arrows (Tokyo) and AN INC. (Seoul) also join for the first time, as do Swiss galleries Galerie WOS (Pfäffikon) and Fabienne Levy (Lausanne), which will present pieces by Brazilian artist Adriel Visoto and Basel-based Mattania Bösiger.
The Firsts section, focused on debut presentations, features Galerie One (Paris), which will show work by Spanish painter Sebas Velasco and Chinese artist Liu Bolin, known for his performative camouflage photography. Also featured are Galerie Alex Schlesinger and BK Chromatic Galerie (Zürich), Bilous Gallery (Vienna), Gabriel Fine Arts (London), Galerie Minrath (Cologne), Insight ArtSpace (New York, Miami, Paris), and JustBEE (Alsace).
Solo Exhibitions: A Focused Lens
A series of solo presentations will allow galleries to foreground individual practices. Among the featured artists: Adéla Janská, whose reconsideration of the female nude will be shown by Adrian Sutton Gallery (Paris); Ukrainian painter Andrey Kozakov, presented by Cincinnati Art Underground; and French sculptor Pascal Piermé, shown by Delamour Gallery (Paris).
Courtesy of Stefan Haehnel.
A Swiss Perspective
With the fair rooted in Basel, Swiss galleries continue to play a central role. This year’s participants include Galerie Katapult (Basel), Lechbinska Gallery, Keller Galerie, Galerie Alex Schlesinger, and BK Chromatic Galerie (all Zürich), alongside Galerie WOS (Pfäffikon) and Fabienne Levy (Lausanne).
On 20 June, a public panel will address the state of the Swiss art market and the conditions supporting a sustainable arts infrastructure. Speakers are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Oil on Canvas, 120 x 90 CM
Spotlight on the Middle East and North Africa
For the first time, VOLTA introduces a regional pavilion dedicated to the Middle East and North Africa. Curated by Beirut-based writer and curator Randa Sadaka, the MENA Pavilion brings together artists whose work reflects a diversity of regional narratives, exploring identity, memory, and historical continuity.
Fann À Porter (Dubai) will present four Syrian artists—Ahmad Kasha, Majd Kurdieh, Mayar Obeido, and Rabee Kiwan—while Gallery Misr and Le Lab (both Cairo) contribute a range of sculpture and mixed media by artists including Khaled Zaki, Omar Chakil, Georges Mohasseb, Ahmed Bazazo, and Moataz Nasr. Other participants include Khawla Art Gallery (Abu Dhabi), Maya Art Space (Beirut), Mojdeh Gallery (Tehran), and Errm Art Gallery (Riyadh).
Marking a significant milestone, RARARES Gallery will represent the United Arab Emirates with a solo presentation by Emirati artist Sara Alkhayyal. Titled Sensory Tapestry: A Cabinet of Folded Memories, the project reflects a curatorial approach that merges regional specificity with wider contemporary concerns, addressing the tactile dimensions of cultural memory and lived experience.
VOLTA Basel 2025 opens on the 19th of June until the 22nd of June, 2025 at Hall 4.U, Messeplatz 21, Basel
©2025 VOLTA
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