Two local artists, the young Gozitan Mark Sagona and Joe P. Smith from Rabat, have returned from Rome where they represented Malta in the first edition of the international festival, Il Lazio tra Europa e Mediterraneo. This festival, being held around the entire Lazio region until Friday, is organised by the Regione Lazio under the auspices of the President of the Italian Republic and the Italian Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The art exhibitions entitled Artisti in Terra di Lazio were divided into painting, sculpture and contemporary photography. Countries from around the entire Mediterranean basin were invited to participate and thus the participants came from Malta, Albania, Bosnia, Cyprus, Croatia, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Lebanon, Morocco, Montenegro, Portugal, Monaco, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey.

Mark Sagona exhibited 10 recent semi-abstract paintings (acrylic on canvas), produced for the occasion, inspired by Malta’s cultural heritage and identity, while Joe Smith presented nine abstract works, the majority of which are executed in an image transfer technique, based on Maltese themes.

Maltese artworks were exhibited in Castello Caetani, a 13th century castle, which dominates the picturesque mountainside town of Trevi nel Lazio. The castle has been restored and the interior re-designed to accommodate cultural activities.

The Maltese exhibition was inaugurated by Dr Alessandro Nicosia, the director of the Complesso Monumentale del Vittoriano on Piazza Venezia in Rome (the Altare della Patria), who is also the curator of recent high-profile exhibitions held at the Vittoriano.