BASEL, SWITZERLAND.-VOLTAshow02, the second edition of the sensational fair that debuted in ’05 as a supplement to Basel’s art week, is open through June 18th. A new, larger location—again exploiting a picturesque riverfront site—allows for more than double the number of exhibiting international galleries that will present distinctive, cutting-edge art.

After the enormous success of the first edition and responding to a massive feedback from collectors, dealers and visitors alike, fair founders Friedrich Loock, Kavi Gupta and Ulrich Voges decided to expand in 2006. 48 galleries and 8 project booths—doubling the number of last year’s participant list—will be on view at the new extensive venue, located in the city’s industrial zone at the ULTRA BRAG shipping facility. The 1500 square-meter warehouse offers even more room for an elegant presentation of galleries, with an actual 2500 square-meter booth construction around a soaring central atrium, allowing for more daylight and height for the optimum viewing of works.

With VOLTAshow’s main focus on emerging artists, the 48 international established galleries in the main section will present a range of solo shows and group presentations. Special care has been taken by the committee to ensure a broad variety of work by an extensive range of energized dealers with unique visions who specialize in showcasing the next generation of art luminaries. Moreover, 8 galleries will present special project booths for particularly fresh and original artists, giving collectors a chance to discover innovative and exciting work in a more comprehensive context.

Directly located on the grassy banks of the river, the new site again allows for picturesque and invigorating boat access from Liste, with the VOLTA boat shuttle, which once more provides a refreshing way of traveling through the Basel Art Week. Situated closer to the main fair, a regular bus shuttle service will provide five-minutes road access every 30 minutes VOLTAshow02 is proudly represented by Art Review magazine, one of the leading industry periodicals, as the main media sponsor.

Art Review magazine will not only be present with a specially commissioned artist’s booth but will also create a special supplement of their June issue dedicated exclusively to VOLTAshow02 and its participating galleries. Ulf Puder, one of the most innovative and influential painters of the Leipziger Malerschule, will be producing an original eight-color limited edition silkscreen, executed in the exceptional Leipzig tradition of fine book printing and illustration.

Expect to find the best new art from around the world in originally presented booths by some of the most promising dealers around, with galleries from Asia, Europe and The Americas. These include: Spencer Brownstone Gallery, Canada, I-20 Gallery, Fredericks&Freiser, Goff+Rosenthal, Guild&Greyshkul, Kaikai Kiki, Lombard-Freid Projects, Pierogi, Rivington Arms, Roebling Hall from New York; The Happy Lion and Mary Goldman Gallery from LA; Kavi Gupta Gallery, Chicago; Artcore/Fabrice Marcolini, Toronto, Galeria Enrique Guerrero, Mexico City; Taro Nasu Gallery, Tokyo; f a projects, Hales Gallery, David Risley Gallery, Store, Union, Fred and Ritter/Zamet from London; Green on Red, Dublin; Galerie Hervé Loevenbruck, Galerie Nathalie Obadia and Galerie Laurent Godin from Paris; Taché-Lévy Galerie, Brussels; Stella Lohaus Gallery, Antwerp; Torch, Amsterdam; Cokkie Snoei Gallery, Rotterdam; Milliken, Stockholm; Voges + Partner, Frankfurt; Wohnmaschine and KuttnerSiebert Galerie from Berlin; art agents, Hamburg; Dogenhaus Galerie, Leipzig; Nusser & Baumgart Contemporary, Munich; Jiri Svestka Gallery, Prague; Galerie Guy Bärtschi and Edward Mitterrand from Geneva; Nicolas Krupp, Basel; Staubkohler, Zürich; Espacio Minimo, Madrid; Galeria Leme and Roesler Hotel from Sao Paulo.

VOLTAprojects: Simone Aaberg Kaern by Martin Asbaek Projects, Copenhagen; Rina Banerjee at Newman Popiashvili Gallery, NYC; Hadassah Emmerich at Galerie Akinci, Amsterdam; John Isaacs at Museum 52, London; Eddie Martinez at ZieherSmith, NYC; Stephan Melzl at Thomas Rehbein Galerie, Cologne; Rupert Norfolk at Dicksmith Gallery, London; Zhou Xiaohu at Ethan Cohen Fine Arts, New York.