In this episode, our host Roland-Philippe Kretzschmar is spotlighting two fairs that have each carved out a distinct role in the art ecosystem. Volta Art Fairs, founded in Basel in 2005, has become known as the “discovery fair,” giving a platform to solo presentations and younger galleries that push experimental voices onto the international stage. Now active in Basel and New York, Volta is where collectors often encounter artists just before they break through.

The Affordable Art Fair, launched in London in 1999, has grown into a global franchise with fairs in over a dozen cities — from Hong Kong to Hamburg, New York to Stockholm. With a price cap of around €10,000, it has opened the market to tens of thousands of new buyers and provided a launchpad for emerging artists to build international audiences.

Together, they represent a crucial mid-tier of the fair ecosystem. Unlike mega-fairs that dominate headlines, these platforms prioritize intimacy, accessibility, and discovery. They are laboratories where new collector generations are nurtured and where artistic risk-taking is still possible.

I’ve always been fascinated by the future of the art market, and conversations like this offer a chance to reflect on how fairs at this scale — human, accessible, and innovative — might shape the next chapter of global collecting.

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