Spazio Antonioni

Spazio Antonioni presents materials from the archive of Michelangelo Antonioni, the Ferrara-born filmmaker. Opened in 2024 in the former contemporary-art pavilion within the garden of Palazzo Massari, the museum interprets his creative work through four immersive rooms.

Why it matters

The museum is devoted to Antonioni's intellectual and creative world, bringing the filmmaker's archive into the city where he was born. It joins a collection of personal and working materials with a civic institution that had presented contemporary art in the same pavilion for decades.

What to notice

The exhibition draws on scripts, photographs, posters, awards, paintings, books and correspondence from the Antonioni Archive. The four-room design was developed by Alvisi Kirimoto from a concept by Dominique Païni and Enrica Fico Antonioni. A multifunctional space extends the museum's programme through screenings, talks and educational activities.

Context and history

The museum occupies the twin garden dependencies of Palazzo Massari, former stables and a carriage house that served as the PAC, Ferrara's contemporary-art pavilion, from the late 1970s. The redesigned spaces opened as Spazio Antonioni in May 2024. Palazzo Massari itself remains under restoration after the 2012 earthquake, while its garden preserves an outdoor sculpture collection.