Fridge Art: When refrigerators become canvases

Occasionally, you hear artists, gallery owners, curators, or critics trying to define exactly what is meant by the term art” fridge and – “where it belongs, who should create it, who can discuss it, who is allowed to view it, and who can even print it on sneakers.

This topic is often accompanied by excitement and controversy; accusations are made, opinions are expressed, viewpoints are taken, and ultimately someone is reprimanded.

Admittedly, this art form is a small niche. You don't exactly encounter it every day. Nevertheless, artists, especially from the street art scene, have discovered this useful kitchen appliance as a canvas for their creative expression.

It doesn't necessarily have to be retro Coca-Cola-style refrigerators from the 1950s that are artfully given a decorative upgrade; modern industrial refrigerators – like those from MIRAI Intex Germany – can also be transformed into true works of art with a little paint and a few vibrant ideas.

Global phenomenon “refrigerator art”

In recent years, refrigerator art has truly spread globally, as can be seen in this piece from Tokyo. It is an extremely fascinating topic that breaks down into a multitude of confusing considerations.

At its core, the cheeky question is: What exactly is refrigerator art? And more importantly: Does it lose its character as refrigerator art when it is presented in a gallery? If it was originally attached to the refrigerator, then brought to the gallery and hung on a nail, is it still refrigerator art?

An innovative Fridge Art project rescued abandoned refrigerators in Australia in 2021, giving them a creative and artistic new lease on life. The Fridge O adoption program, initiated by the independent bottle shop chain The Bottle-O, recruited five street artists during the COVID-19 pandemic year to beautify boring refrigerators with unique designs, transforming them into works of art.

Australians often dump their old refrigerators on the side of the road, where they then end up in landfills. Sometimes they just need a small repair and a little love.”

Marketing Manager Josh Gaudry explained to The Examiner: Charlton Maja from Launceston successfully purchased the refrigerator named "Bubbles" and felt that the refrigerator's "big, groovy vibes" and "color palette" would perfectly suit his home.

The program ran for six weeks. Interested Australians could apply to take over one of ten original refrigerators.

Another refrigerator project series, Food for Soul, Grundiglaunched Thierry Noir. Each project featured a unique refrigerator. These refrigerators not only played a functional role in the kitchens of the Refettorios and Social Tables; they were painted in graffiti style to celebrate the meaning and value of everyday objects and to highlight the importance of art and aesthetics in revealing hidden beauty.

Noir painted his own interpretation of what Food for Soul stands for on each refrigerator, making them indispensable pieces of a larger puzzle.

Thierry Noir, the French-born artist, had a groundbreaking idea when he became the first street artist the Berlin Wall . His collaboration with the electronics company Grundig began in 2016. Together, they supported the organization "Food for Soul" in its mission to create inclusive spaces.

This became a reality through the establishment of a temporary studio in Berlin's historic East Side Gallery . Thanks to this pioneering collaboration and the generous support of Grundig, the non-profit organization has been able social inclusion . They have created an environment that celebrates art and culture – and it all began with a special look at an everyday object like the refrigerator.

Another impressive artist who discovered his love for refrigerator art is a young man from South Africa. Ennock Mlangeni (30) is a self-taught visual artist who works with recycled materials to create his artwork and earn a living.

Inspired by his own life experiences, Ennock believes that one should start with the resources available to achieve their dreams. Originally born in the small rural village of Petrus Steyn in the Free State (South Africa), he moved to Sasolburg to live with his grandmother after the death of his parents at the age of seven. Despite financial difficulties within his family and the support of his grandmother's pension, his belief in a promising future remained unwavering.

Although art is often considered an expensive craft, Ennock emphasizes the importance of starting with the limited resources available. He began with a simple pencil and still uses it to create fascinating works. Sometimes, however, it requires even more creativity and the use of all available resources. Ennock also uses newspapers in his artwork—the idea came to him when he once spilled coffee on a drawing. Fascinated by the colors of the newspaper that had absorbed the coffee, he decided to create artworks using both newspapers and coffee.

The artist emphasizes that using waste materials is not only cost-effective but also contributes to a better world through recycling. Inspired by his surroundings and personal experiences, Ennock creates each of his artworks in a unique way, deciding which material is best suited for the piece only during the conceptual process.

It fits with this career path that he has also found a canvas for his art in the everyday object of the refrigerator. Here is a small selection of his work from recent years:

Refrigerator Credibility – An Open Debate

In the street art scene, authenticity, credibility, and relevance are highly valued. It's about acceptance among like-minded individuals, about street credibility.

If an artist designs a stencil for a refrigerator and then uses the same stencil and spray can to create a piece on a canvas, the question arises: Is it still refrigerator art? If a museum or collector commissions a well-known refrigerator artist to create a new piece for an exhibition, has that artist then broken away from their origins and become a jellout (a derogatory term for disliked people, originating in the 1980s)?

If the creatively modified refrigerator has been thrown away and is waiting on the sidewalk for collection by the garbage truck, is it considered public art, ephemeral art, or a temporary sculpture installation?

And what happens when the garbage truck hits a large pothole and the cold air swirls through the air, landing on a dancer in her leotard who is smoking on the sidewalk outside of class? Is that refrigerator performance art?

Okay…now it gets a bit absurd.

Similar discussions are being seriously debated within the scene, as article in the online magazine BROOKLYNSTREETART.COM (BSA) demonstrated Tad Tusnarky, opinion writer for FridgeForum.com and Senior Fellow at the Wetbar Art Institute in Stamford, Connecticut, warns that opinions about refrigerator art without knowledge of the scene can diminish its appreciation. He criticizes the dilution of respect through mainstream enthusiasm and calls for greater respect for the art world.

Maytagger, a renowned New York street artist, rejects the notion of art as a fleeting trend. He emphasizes the importance of craftsmanship and originality and criticizes the superficiality of modern art practices. Maytagger's work is characterized by meticulousness and depth—a contrast to the fast pace of today's art scene, which he considers trivial.

Whatever you think of refrigerator art, it remains a part of the urban art scene and is constantly evolving.