! Clear evidence of renewed confidence at VOLTA NY 2010 No Guts, No Glory Friday March 12th, 2010 VOLTA NY 2010 got off to a bl ister ingly good start on Thursday, March 4th, with a record registered f i rst-day attendance of 5,000; by Sunday, March 7th, that f igure had r isen to almost 20,000, up from last year. Demonstrat ively strong sales, which reached over the 3 mi l l ion dol lar mark by closing, as reported by VOLTA NY's 84 exhibitors, was a keen ref lect ion of renewed col lector conf idence in the contemporary emerging art market. This year's eclectic new talent at VOLTA NY has elicited considerable interest, including the salon-style presentation of Moldavian artist Alexander Tinei (VOGES Gal lery, Frankfurt /Ana Cristea Gal lery, NY) with his entire presentation sold into important private and public collections in both the U.S. and Europe (prices raged from $7,600 – $12,000). Visitors and institutions alike—such as the Smart Museum (Chicago) and the Liverpool Biennia l—were stopped in their tracks by Jonathan Ferrara Gal lery’s (New Orleans) arresting installation of Skylar Fein’s work, two of whose major pieces, Gun Rack and Black Flag (Marcuse), were promptly acquisitioned by major private collections for $20,000 and $40,000 respectively. The robust spending didn't stop there. By mid-afternoon of opening day all the Oscar de las Flores drawings at Kather ine Mulher in Contemporary (Toronto/Los Angeles) were sold out (prices ranged from $5,400 to $18,000), some going to a private collection in Basel, and Paul Pretzer’s disturbing but intriguing oil paintings at Hamish Morr ison Galer ie (Berlin) were a sell-out, with the Rubel l family acquiring more for their existing collection; samsøn (Boston) sold six Todd Pavl isko drawings, one to collector Mike De Paola, which went for $4,000 - $9,000, while determined interest was expressed for his arresting video work and his table sculpture Still Life sold for $40,000. Meanwhile, FAS (London) sold a range of paintings and a sculpture by Steve Goddard ($38,000-$40,000) in addition to holding numerous remaining works on reserve, Eleven Gal lery (London) sold all three Ben Turnbal l “New York” pieces—comic book collages of the NYFD and PD—selling at $30,000, while over at Dorsch Gal lery (Miami) Richard Haden’s trompe l’oeil sculptures—seemingly beat-up quotidian objects made of precious materials—were the visitors’ favorite, with the rusty fire extinguisher Distinguishable going for $10,000, and Baggage, a piece of solid mahogany masquerading as a dented metal suitcase, being snapped up by Beth Rudin de Woody for $16,000. !VOLTA NY was also excited to see other heavy-weight collectors—such as Paige West (Philadelphia), Mark and Liv ia Straus (Hudson Valley Center of Contemporary Art), Patr ic ia Vargas (Buenos Aires), Robert Harshorn Shimshak (San Francisco), father/son team John and Stuart Evans (London), Phi l l ip and Shel ley Aarons, Francis van Hornegger (Bruges), Susan Wei ler (New York), Laurence Benenson (New York), Ala in Servais (Brussels) as well as the art fair light towers like Don and Mera Rubel l (Miami), Michael and Susan Hort (New York), and Susan Goodman (New York) —descend early to do the rounds and stop in with dealers like Fruit & Flower Del i , exhibiting Venice Biennale artist Jan Håfström to huge critical feedback; Cal l icoon Fine Arts, who sold a total ten Nicholas

! Buffon abstract paintings, a selection of which went to an Ohio hospital collection, a New Museum trustee, and a leading Spanish foundation; they were priced from $400-$4,000. Madder139 sold the $40,000 work, by Damien Hirst's reportedly favorite artist GL Brier ley as well, while another of her two large works went into the cross-cultural repository of the Domus Col lect ion (Bei j ing). High-profile visitors were also in appearance at Gal lery Diet (Miami), where former-PS1 exhibitor Charley Fr iedman attracted the attention of Joao Ribas (Curator of Liste Visual Arts Center) and Robert Duncan (of Duncan Aviation), who then went on to purchase A Reason for Being priced at $22,500 by Ghost of a Dream, represented by Cynthia Corbett Gal lery (London). Close by, at Galer ía Leme (São Paulo), three of South America's most prominent collectors, Richard Akagawa, Arthur Casas and Ana Carmen Longobardi, showed a focused interest in Brazilian artist Marcelo Moscheta’s intense, emotional landscapes. Amid brisk business, Nei l Farber’s work, a mixture of dark childhood fear and grown-up fantasy, was sold by Pippy Houldsworth (London) into to three major collections, Sagamore Hotel, Progressive Insurance and Patr ick Col l ins; prices were from $5,000 - $25,000. A touch of the macabre continued at Heike Strelow (Frankfurt), where Mathias Kessler's striking Nowhere to be Found—a decomposing skull with live coral growing from eye and nose holes—keenly priced at $15,000, sold to a major American collection; at fellow-Frankfurter Anita Beckers’ booth Maria Jose Ar jona (who’ll be performing as part of the Marina Abramovic retrospective at MoMA) received several invitations from some of Europe's most respected museums. The institutions in attendance included Bass Museum Miami, Brooklyn Museum, Chelsea Art Museum, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, DIA Foundation, DZ Bank Col lect ion Frankfurt, Hirshhorn Museum, The Metropol i tan Museum New York, The New Museum, MoMA, PS1, The Sculpture Center, Sotheby’s, Weatherspoon Art Museum and YCC Guggenheim. Personalities included Bi l l Arning, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston; Adam Budak, Chief Curator, Kunsthaus Graz; Ian Berry, Tang Museum; Susan Cross, Chief Curator, MassMoca; Prospect 1 New Orleans Curator Dan Cameron; Thom Col l ins (Director, Neuberger Museum of Art at Purchase College); Marie Fraser, Curator, D'art Contemporain de Montréal (MACM); Claude Gossel in, Director Montreal Biennial; Paulette Gagnon, Director, MACM; Joe Ketner, Curator Milwaukee Art Museum; Miranda Lash, Curator New Orleans Museum of Art; David Liss, Director of Museum of Contemporary Art (Toronto); Mark Lanctot, Curator (MACM); Robert Morrow, Director of the 21st Century Museum, Louisville; Jasper Sharp, curatorial advisor VOLTA Basel, Lowery Stoker Sims, Curator Museum of Arts and Design (NY); Dorothea Strauss, Museum Konkret (Zürich); L isa Tung, MassArt; and the board from the Groeninge Museum, Bruges. Fair Director, Amanda Coulson, was delighted with reports of significant sales from new and established galleries exhibiting at the 2010 fair, “Our theme, No Guts, No Glory, has particularly resonated: the 84 exhibitors came in hard with strong solo presentations and have systematically demonstrated that, even in the face of these most challenging of economic times, the art world is robust, agile, and still actively doing great business.”

! “Congratulations on a job very well done with VOLTA show! The artist-centric, curated design is so refreshing. I felt like I got a good sense of each artist, and I particularly loved seeing Jan Håfström and Gigi Scarla's work (not to mention Skylar Fein, of course!).I admire your mission...” Miranda Lash - Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art New Orleans Museum of Art "For us the fair was a really good start to show our artist and present the gallery in NY. Besides sales, we met with curators, collectors and other art dealers from the U.S., South America and Europe. Especially the fact of the solo presentation worked out perfectly for us because we were able to present the different side of the artist…I think the concept of the fair is really good." Heike Strelow - Director Heike Strelow Galer ie, Frankfurt "I think it's important that even the smallest of details come together and we were thrilled with the result. There was also a wonderful new dynamic this year, with collectors expressing renewed energy and interest in the fair throughout the week. I think our hard work, and VOLTA’s certainly paid off.” Victor de Bonnecaze - Director Vanessa Quang Gal lery, Par is "I saw and felt that from start to finish there was a real sense of energy about the fair with a constant stream of collectors and museum curators who kept on coming even as we approached closing time. We have made many new contacts and friends but most importantly of all our artist has attracted the attention of a number of serious collectors and museum curators who were able to come to our booth and see and engage with a whole body of new work." Debbie Carslow - Director Madder139, London "If I am going to do any fairs, VOLTA NY it is." Jan Stene – Director Stene Projects, Stockholm “We were overwhelmed with the response at this year's VOLTA New York…There was a constant river of top collectors and curators filling the booth and a return to the enthusiasm and energy of pre-crisis days. Time and time again, people spoke of the refreshing atmosphere at VOLTA which has established itself as one of the most consistent and high-quality of the New York art fairs “ Hamish Morr ison - Director Galer ie Hamish Morr ison, Berl in

“The focus VOLTA NY provides for emerging galleries and artists is unparalleled. The intention for samsøn showing Todd Pavlisko was press, sales and eyes on the work. The Art Newspaper interviewed Todd, we sold a sculpture before opening the booth, plus the professional viewers and the regular audience loved it!” Camilo Alvarez, Director samsøn, Boston "All in all we’re dead chuffed, buzzing and delighted to be involved with such a great fair. The vibe on the floor has been really positive towards what we’re showing and also towards the fair in general. Good job." Charl ie Phi l l ips - Director Eleven Gal lery, London “We had a great fair experience at Volta New York and the overall feedback was amazing!” Priska C.Juschka – Director Pr iska C. Juschka Fine Art, New York “Thank you Amanda for the good work!!!” Miguel A. ADN – Director AND Galer ia, Barcelona

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VOLTA NY IMAGES A selection of images in hi-res format, can be downloaded from our website ny.voltashow.com

Alexander Tinei at VOGES Gallery, Frankfurt / Ana Cristea Gallery, New York Photo courtesy of Carrie Villines

Skylar Fein, Black Flag (Marcuse), acrylic on plaster and wood, 2010 Jonathan Ferrara Gallery, New Orleans

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Ferrera Gallery

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Oscar de las Flores The Even Sweeter Death of Oscar de las Flores (ink on paper), 2009

Katharine Mulherin Contemporary, Toronto / Los Angeles Photo courtesy of Katharine Mulherin Contemporary

Hamish Morrison (Berlin), showing client the work of Paul Pretzer. Photo courtesy of Carrie Villines

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Todd Pavlisko, On and On (acrylic on canvas), 2007, at samsøn, Boston

Photo courtesy of Carrie Villines

Ben Turnball, Lesson 4 (whittled desk) 2009 at Eleven Gallery, London

Photo courtesy of Carrie Villines

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Jan Håfström Paradise Lost (Acrylic on MDF board and drawings, 86 parts), 2003 at Fruit & Flower Deli, New York / Andreas Brändström, Stockholm

Photo courtesy of Carrie Villines

VOLTA NY visitor looking at works by GL Brierley at Madder139, London

Photo courtesy of Carrie Villines

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Charley Friedman Left - Untitled (graphite on paper) 2009

Right - Magic Powers (felt) 2010 Gallery Diet, Miami

Photo courtesy of Carrie Villines

Mathias Kessler, Nowhere to be Found (biomorphic pieces), 2009 at Galerie Heike Strelow, Frankfurt

Photo courtesy of Galerie Heike Strel