450 artists from all over the world, nine awarded categories (Painting, Sculpture, Works on Paper, Installation, Mixed Media, Digital Art, Photography, Video), eight special mentions, over 30 collateral events in the city. The Florence Biennale, founded in 1997 as a global convocation of artists with all their diversity, promotes art in all forms as a reference point for creative energies, a place where all forms of art and culture are welcome and made visible, and innovative, original, and prominent events are hosted at the same time. In 2001 the Biennale was included in the Dialogue among Civilizations Program, sponsored by the United Nations to promote understanding among different cultures through artistic expression. Over the past eight editions, more than five thousand artists from around the world have met in Florence, making the Biennale one of the few events capable of providing an overview on contemporary artistic production at a global level. The Lorenzo il Magnifico International Award was introduced since the first edition, with the aim of honoring outstanding personalities in the art and culture scenes, as well as Organizations and Institutions that have played a key role in cultural life at a global level, and participating artists in the current edition that are deemed creditable by the Biennale's International Jury.