"Landscapes" International Art Exhibition, Italy, Ferrara

It was a fascinating experience to participate in the International Art Exhibition of"Landscapes" in Ferrara, Italy. The art exhibition was held in the Embarcadero Rooms which have an extensive artistic history.

I am grateful to the Artistic Committee for inviting me to be a part of this wonderful opportunity. My special thanks go out to Ms. Paola Trevisian, the curator, who proved to be highly capable of doing the job professionally and with passion. Ms. Trevisian showed a great amount of understanding and patience when I asked her many questions about my trip to Italy. We look back at that now and laugh.

The Art Exhibition was professionally organized and well advertised. It was an incredible opportunity for me to meet with different artists from different countries. As well, it was interesting to see a vast array of styles and techniques from 65 artists, ranging from minimalism to abstract art, to impressionism, surrealism, hyperrealism, classic realism and realism oil paintings. The artists also used many different mediums including pencil, water color, acrylic, encaustic, oil paint, digital artwork and also photography.

It was very inspiring to meet artists aged well into their late sixties and seventies, but still full of energy and passion for the arts.

The art exhibition was graced with the bounteous footsteps of people from all around the world. Visitors came, not just to walk around, but to display their great appreciation for the arts.

The location for the exhibition was uniquely selected. It was held in the Embarcadero Rooms of the Este Castle (Castello Estence) in Ferrara, Italy. This Castle is the monument most identified with the image of the City and has played a role as witness to every stage in the city's history. Its building was started by the architect Bartolino da Novara in September of 1385. The castle originally took the form of a huge rectangle surrounded by a wide moat. It was protected by four squat towers at its corners. Since then, the castle was mostly inhabited by the Cardinal Legates representatives of the Papal government of which Ferrara remained a domain until 1859.

Today, the Estense Castle is the property and the home of the provincial administration. Although Ferrara was first mentioned in documents dated back to the 8th Century A.D., some records indicate that Ferrara was already a political and administrative reality by the early Middle Ages.

The inner courtyard of the Castle was created by Ercole II. The d'Este Family halls were decorated with works by mannerist painters such as Camillo Filippi and Leonardo Brescia.

There is so much to describe about the castle and the characteristics of Ferrara. The city is a wonderful preservation of art history. I found Ferrara to be one of the most peaceful cities I have ever been to. People are very warm and very kind. I felt at home even without being able to speak Italian. Certainly, such a beautiful backdrop was the perfect place to host such a stunning artistic event.

After all, having seen the sparkling lights from above, while the airplane was landing, it felt so good approaching the land of my home in Canada.

Ciao!

Mona Youssef

For more information about the art exhibition and viewing the oil paintings of the participated artists, please visit:
www.trevisanarte.com/Last_Events.htm

If you wish to read the invitation letter, please click here:
www.mona-gallery.com/news&articles/article22.php