The exhibition “Le Montagne Incantate” by Michelangelo Antonioni provided an opportunity to speak with Enrica Fico Antonioni, a multifaceted artist and wife of the director, who was one of the greatest masters in the history of world cinema.
The exhibition, curated by Matteo Pacini and conceived to mark the 30th anniversary of the animal sanctuary in Semproniano (GR) and the founding of the Animanatura ETS Foundation, also featured works by Enrica Fico Antonioni and Francesca De Mai.
It all began with a young lion that arrived earlier this year from Albania and found a home in the heart of the Tuscan Maremma, at the Animanatura Wild Sanctuary in Semproniano.
“I never would have thought I’d fall in love with a lion,” says Enrica Fico. “I immediately associated his gaze with that of Michelangelo—in terms of beauty, intensity, and pride—a magnetic gaze that strikes and delights me every time.”
It was none other than Enrica Fico Antonioni who recognized in the young lion, Mihal, a particular expressive intensity—a quality in his gaze and presence that, in its sensitivity and tension, reminded her of her partner.
We all know Michelangelo Antonioni as the director who changed the way stories are told on the big screen, but we know little about his paintings and sculptural works.
How did this exhibition come about?
Back in the ’70s, when I was painting, Michelangelo would look at me and my friends with a certain admiration. To create a painting, you work alone, and it can be finished in a single day. To make a film, it takes time and many people—it’s a task that requires a great deal of commitment.
During the transition from black-and-white to color, Michelangelo had begun painting cotton-backed cardstock in various colors, arranging them side by side to immerse himself in color for his film *Red Desert* (1964). When we rediscovered these pieces, he began tearing them apart and creating small collages. He then photographed them so that the colors would blend and the viewer’s gaze could penetrate the image, broadening the perspective. They are very beautiful works, in his style—much like Buonarroti, he worked the material until he stripped away the superfluous and arrived at the essence. The exhibition “Le Montagne Incantate” (The Enchanted Mountains) stems from these works of his.
What is Enrica Fico’s relationship with animals?
Excellent! When I encounter an animal—for example, right now I happen to come across foxes—I look up its esoteric meaning! At the rescue center, which opened in 2024 in the Maremma—a beautiful region where art is very much present—we are the guests, not the animals; there’s so much space that it’s not us watching the animals, but them watching us.
Let’s talk about Enrica Fico Antonioni. Who she was, who she has been, who she is today.
I’m richer for the experience; it’s been a life-changing journey, and I’m proud of what I’ve done. I had an interesting family, studied at Brera, and received a solid education that allowed me to engage with Michelangelo. I feel like a privileged woman. Even today, every single day, I work for him, but now I can think for myself—I am my own person. I learned everything from him, and I’m sure it was fate. I wouldn’t have had the courage to choose this path, but I didn’t back down. Today, I’m the last living witness, and every day there are people looking for a book or asking for information about Michelangelo. I also oversee the Spazio Antonioni, a permanent museum entirely dedicated to his life and works in Ferrara, his hometown.
What does art mean to you?
I used to ask Michelangelo, “What will I do when you’re no longer here?” And he saw me working as an artist because art is a great consolation—it takes you in and gives back to you. It’s a great consolation…amidst all the decay that surrounds us.
Besides the Semproniano exhibition, are you curating any other shows?
Yes, we’re preparing an exhibition in Paris, where he’s much loved but not well known for his paintings. It will be different from “The Enchanted Mountains” because it will feature different works, full of color. From 2001 to 2007, Michelangelo had resumed painting, but in a different style. “The Enchanted Mountains” are rooted in the intellectual thought that guided him, whereas these works are abstract, because he loved abstract painting very much, as well as Futurism. They are works without any underlying meaning. Although he could no longer move his hand, he would make the mark, and his assistants would apply the paint where he indicated. Those were happy years, despite his illness—even fun, with so many young people around. We also held an exhibition in Piazza di Pietra in Rome.
What is the artist Enrica Fico doing today?
I have a lot to do and little time to devote to my artwork. I sing, play the drum, take care of the garden, my dogs, and my two homes. However, the four paintings I exhibited in Semproniano were very well received, and that makes me very happy. My works take time because I paint with flower petals gathered from nature, so I have to grow them or “steal” them from gardens or meadows, then dry them in presses to get the right color. I lead a quieter life, but it’s still full of commitments with two homes to manage: the large one in Umbria, steeped in Michelangelo’s legacy, and the smaller one in the Maremma, where it’s just me.
