ECFA At Volta Basel

Li Daiyun at Volta Basel

Li Daiyun, a female Chinese painter based in Beijing, brings us a unique approach in painting. Inspired by photographic images, Daiyun takes us on a visual journey. Each image that she paints is an emotional response to the digitalization of visual culture that exists today. Using the language of painting, Daiyun experiments in multiple ways, dripping, gridding, pushing the paint to deconstruct and rethink the role of pixelization. She allows the pigments to mix and melt inserting the element of chaos. She liberates the long tradition of photorealism, leaving us with both the process and the result. Much like how Roy Lichtenstein focused on the importance of brush as “subject matter”, Li Daiyun has taken us a step further in this digital age of painting.

From Barfi:

http://barfi.ch/content/location/35566

Volta: playful, modern, and intimate

Since the ‘Volta’ moved to Markthalle, it has cast its feathers from a fair running alongside and has become a real gem. As could be seen at last year’s event, the quality of the major art fair had improved.

The fair has now reached its pre-teens, curator Amanda Coulson said. Now in twelfth year, Volta has developed into ‘the shack of adulthood’. And although the Markthalle is not a shack, Volta has found an ideal site under its dome.

Its previous location at the harbour was not bad, but it was a bit out of town. In the Dreispitzhalle, the fair did not demonstrate its full potential. Last year however following its move to Markthalle, the Volta proved that this fair is excellent for discoveries and surprises. The fair also benefits from a rather intimate atmosphere in which contact between merchants and artists is easily established.

The fair exists for new international positions, Ms Coulson said, mysteriously. It is a fact however that exhibits seem to be more within reach than in the crowded exhibition halls.

Additionally, Volta has succeeded in finding its own position besides ‘Scope’ which this year is in the Clarahuus, and ‘Liste’, which is held in the Warteck premises. With Volta, playful modern art can be found next to classical modern paintings however without the razzmatazz of the ‘Scope’ or the radical line of the ‘Liste’, which is dedicated to new artists.

Whether the exhibition will present itself in as much variety as last year is not clear however Volta is always good for a surprise.