Riccardo Angelini on Artistic Migration Between Paris and Italy's Marche Region

Visual artist Riccardo Angelini, who grew up in Italy's Marche region, moved to Paris in 2011 at age 31 to pursue his artistic career. He experienced 18 relocations and worked various jobs including cooking classes for bachelorette parties, bartending, and retail at a vintage clothing store. After the store closed, the French state supported him with 80% salary continuation for 18 months, enabling him to study plastic arts across six Parisian ateliers. Angelini returned to Italy's Fermano area, co-founding the Lou Capanneau cultural center in the Aso river valley. His artistic practice investigates material behavior, allowing chemical reactions and oxidation to shape his works over time. He describes Paris as "a kind of hell that occasionally gives you pastries" and emphasizes that true places don't replace each other but accumulate in layers. The digital era allows connection between provincial and urban centers, though physical presence remains crucial for meaningful artistic relationships. Angelini maintains a Paris apartment managed remotely while working from Italy, viewing his return not as retreat but as conscious transition to slower, deeper creative engagement.