Stretching through the first nine days of December, the Florence Art Biennale 2007 was a glorified exhibition of international contemporary art that saw 840 artists of varied genres and deriving from 76 different countries exhibiting a total of 2500 works to an awestruck audience of visitors. Held in a venue dramatically different in age and character to anything vaguely contemporary – the 500-year-old Florentine Fortezza da Basso, the event also saw the participation of two Maltese artists, one of whom is Bulgaria-born Ilina Filipova who is based in Malta. Ilina chose to display a selection of works including paintings of sun dappled colours and Maltese sceneries, that are infused with lots of energy and perennial joie de vivre.

Fresh from her Italian experience and still very excited, Ilina Filipova commented, “It all felt like a dream world in which it is mind-boggling to see how other people express themselves. My stand was flanked by artists from different countries – Greece, Canada, Italy. The variety of art stretched from the electronic genre, to mixed media, sculptures and in my case, it featured paintings of warm and colourful Mediterranean landscapes.”

The Florence Art Biennale 2007 was not only about exhibiting works but also about enjoying a number of talks concerning the history of varied artists and theatre. “Since the biennale featured artists of different genres, countries, genders and age groups, it provided a wealth of feelings that you will only find in an event such as this.”

Ilina admits that art is not an easy area to be involved in but what matters most is believing in one’s own work and trying to venture into new expressions.

“I would highly recommend for everyone to visit or participate in a biennale of this caliber and size as it will make you appreciate art and artists even more” In a bid to share with others the excitement of this experience, the artist will have an open studio during the festive season. Contact her on www.artofilina.com.