Volta Show Open Letter Condemns Trump, Pledges Inclusivity

In response to Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 US presidential election, the organizers of the Volta art fair have issued an open letter denouncing the president-elect's rhetoric of hatred and discord. The letter draws parallels between the US election results and the Brexit referendum, emphasizing the fair's commitment to diversity, tolerance, and inclusion. Volta, founded in 2005 by gallerists for gallerists, operates in both Basel and New York. The New York edition, an invitation-only fair featuring solo shows, will hold its tenth edition in March 2017 during the Armory Show. The Basel edition, under the same direction of Amanda Coulson, is in its thirteenth iteration and serves as a platform for international galleries that are too established for Liste but not yet ready for Art Basel. The letter states: 'We take a pause of solidarity and support for our exhibitors, artists, and creative minds of every ethnicity and nationality, of every gender, of all religious creeds. Volta has always exhibited and will continue to exhibit artists and gallerists from both geographic and philosophical peripheries, including without exclusion racial minorities, the LGBTQ community, women. Volta is and will continue to be a space for acceptance, tolerance, and inclusion. We defend the chorus of points of view and will continue to do so in the future with all our strength, at the fairs in New York and Basel.'