Heino Schmid, Pssst! (This Means War), 2012, acrylic, graphite & ink on wood, 96x112x50 inches

VOLTA NY is an invitational show of emerging solo artists’ projects and the American incarnation of the successful young fair founded in Basel in 2005. VOLTA NY was conceived in 2008 by Artistic Director Amanda Coulson as a tightly-focused, boutique event that is a place for discovery, a showcase for relevant art contemporary positions regardless of the artist’s or gallery’s age.

In 2013, the invitational fair inaugurates its new location 82MERCER in SoHo, by showcasing 94 international galleries, spanning 6 continents and spotlighting artists from 38 nations including Bahamian artist Heino Schmid representing Popopstudios in The Bahamas.

By refocusing on artists through solo projects, VOLTA NY promotes a deep exploration of the work of its selected participants and offers the opportunity for discoveries beyond those afforded by a traditional art fair.

A platform for challenging, often complementary, sometimes competing ideas about contemporary art, the strictly solo format is what gives the New York fair its unique character.

Heino Schmid was born in 1976 in Nassau, The Bahamas. The context of much of Heino Schmid’s work is concerned with narrative and the reconsideration of personal stories in the public forum. Using a variety of media such as video, drawing, installation and photography, he investigates the often simple, sometimes irrelevant encounters and collisions between people and their environments.

“Although I strive for universal metaphors, I approach each body of work in a very personal way. Using self-referential experiences as an avenue to illuminating collective experiences I hope to reveal the subtle dramas that inform social dynamics and ultimately bring those realities to the forefront for discussion.”