BIENNALE INTERNAZIONALE
DELL'ARTE CONTEMPORANEA
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"SAILING TO BYZANTIUM"
ALENA GUEST
USA
The Florence Biennale
Thank goodness I didn't delete the e-mail which congratulated me on being nominated for the Fifth International Biennale of Contemporary Art in Florence, Italy. By reputation, I understood the Biennale to be a prestigious event, featuring contemporary work that is alive, thriving and as various as humanity, itself. I was honored to be asked to exhibit my work along with 890 artists from 72 countries.
The Florence Biennale, as an official partner in the United Nation's "Dialogue Among Nations" program, exemplifies the ability of art to create a common language between different cultures. U.N. Secretary General, Kofi Annon illustrated this point when he stated, "Art has a special role to play in the global struggle for peace. At their best artists not only speak to people, they speak for them. Art is a weapon against ignorance and hatred and an agent of public awareness. Art opens new doors for learning, understanding and peace among people and nations."
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"FIRE AND ICE"
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The three works which I chose to exhibit —"Fire and Ice," "I Sing the Body Electric," and "Sailing to Byzantium"—were inspired by 9/11. At the time that I began painting the series, the attack on the World Trade Center was still fresh and it was unclear how my own raw emotions would play out in my paintings. My first impulse, prompted by a sense of outrage and despair, was to render a realistic view of Armageddon. However, an even stronger need—to create beautiful, as well as meaningful, art—compelled me to paint more from my heart than my head. Over time, as the work progressed, I applied many layers of brilliant color to obscure the dark underpainting and I scraped away entire sections of the canvas to reveal dazzling light. What emerged were images suggesting a bridge between our future and our past, as well as a portal between Heaven and Earth.
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