Refrigerator of Art Smeg & Dolce&Gabbana FAB28R-DG VN04YW

Born in Catania in 1975, Alice still lives and works in the city. She graduated in Conservazione dei Beni Culturali di Pisa and then returned to Sicily where she trained in the Maestro Domenico di Mauro in Aci Sant’Antonio, the prestigious workshop of Sicilian carts. Many years before, the paths were laid for the master and the pupil to cross: for Alice the discovery of carts came from her interest in “objets d’art” and the “roots of her family”. The two of them, together with a very small circle of artists, tell the story of a world that is now distant, but not yet lost. As the only woman amongst the very few painters of carts to inherit this age-old and complex decorative art, she studies in depth the multiple aspects of the popular artistic tradition. She draws inspiration from a personal interpretation of Sicilian folklore and its traditional themes. Alongside her production of painted furniture, paintings and everyday objects, she also works in interior design, fashion and theatre, all with a subterranean vein of irony and a touch of nostalgia.

Enamel and oil, 60 x 151 x 68.2 cm The decorations of this refrigerator are an homage to the Sicilian cart and its multiple functions. Used for the transport of merchandise, passengers and during religious festivals, since the 19th century the passage of the Sicilian cart has marked out the key moments of life on the island. The animal use to pull it is often a donkey, loyal companion of the cart driver through perilous travels, usually given human names like Ciccio, Peppe or Gino. Indeed, the protagonist of the central panel is a donkey, elaborately decked in ceremonial harnesses. The sides and top are decorated with cart wheels and citrus fruits.