Sicilia Fredda: Contemporary Art in a 17th-Century Hermitage

The exhibition 'Sicilia Fredda' is installed at the Eremo di Santa Rosalia in Santo Stefano di Quisquina, a 17th-century monastic hermitage set in an oak forest at 1,000 meters elevation in the Sicani Mountains. The project, conceived by Alfonso Leto, presents works by 21 artists spanning generations from Leto (born 1956) to Christian Reina (born 1996), all born in the same inland town of about 4,000 inhabitants. The exhibition occupies the cloister, monastic cell corridor, and former wood stores. The name 'quisquina' derives from Berber for 'darkness' or 'shadow,' reflecting the project's focus on Sicily's mountainous interior rather than its coastal Mediterranean imagery. The show is part of the Sicani Creative Festival, approved by the Italian Ministry of Culture for the regeneration of small municipalities, involving six other towns in the Sicani Mountains. The artists, curators, and institutions aim to highlight the hermitage's critical condition, which requires urgent restoration.