Born in Turin, Italy, Irina Novarese received a BA in Fine Arts from the Accademia Albertina, Turin; and an MA in Art in Context from the UdK Berlin.
Her work has been exhibited in solo shows in various museums, galleries and off-site projects in Italy, Germany, Spain, Venezuela and the USA, as well as in group exhibitions including: the 10th Venice Architecture Biennale (2006); the 2nd Ghetto Biennale in Haiti (2012); the MOR Museo orgánico Romerillo, 12th Havana Biennial (2015), BIENAL SUR (2021), and the POSVERSO Biennial (2024).

Irina Novarese is a visual artist who works with mixed media installations, editions and video. Her works start from affinities – encounters with themes deeply related to urban spaces. She navigates them, collects data and remaps her own networks of associations, working site-specifically in the multiple contexts related to cities. In her practice, she longs and searches for other people to exchange ideas, explore concepts, discover places. Currently some of her works are deeply related to the relationship between urbanity and language, seen primarily as a poetic infrastructure.

Participation and collectivity are fundamental elements of numerous projects in which Irina Novarese works as an artist, organiser and curator, aiming to develop artistic communities based on contributions, knowledge and common interests. 
Current memberships are: HIER&JETZT: Connections – a residency and exchange program for artists in exile, Berlin; The Watch, residency program in the former GDR watchtower at Schlesischer Busch, Berlin; MING Studios, Contemporary Art Center & International Artist in Residency Program, Boise, Idaho (USA).
Since 2020 Irina Novarese is a member of the Independent Studio Advisory Board of the bbk Berlin e.V.

Her works are included in the collections of MUFOCO – Museo di Fotografia Contemporanea (IT); ARTPHILEIN FOUNDATION (CH); Universitat Politecnica de València (ES); GAM, Museum of Modern Art, Turin (IT); APERTO, Contemporary Art Museum, Barge, (IT); PAV, Parco d’arte Vivente, Turin (IT); as well as in international private collections.
Irina Novarese’s work is represented by the Canèm Gallery, Castellon (ES)