Francesco Lauretta's Solo Exhibition at Palazzo Nicolaci, Noto

Francesco Lauretta, a Sicilian-born painter based in Florence, presents a solo exhibition at Palazzo Nicolaci in Noto, featuring over 100 works created between 2002 and 2021. The show includes oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and ink works on paper, with a large cassata siciliana painting at the entrance that references the famous Caffè Sicilia. Curated by Pietro Gaglianò, the exhibition highlights Lauretta's exploration of Sicilian ritual, where devotion to saints, ancient ruins, Spanish surnames, power, poverty, and food converge. A central room features a large crucifix (220x145 cm) positioned as in Monreale Basilica, surrounded by eighteen Deposition works. Another painting, "Sorrisi" (2017), depicts a Good Friday procession with incongruous figures reminiscent of Ensor's masks. The final room shows workers on break, with a canvas supported by white onions from Giarratana. Lauretta's work is described as both innovative and ancient, drawing on philosophical references from Byung-Chul Han and Giorgio Agamben. The exhibition stands out amid a glut of tourist-oriented shows in eastern Sicily during August 2021.