In the early 1960s, Bruno Barbey, a photography student in Switzerland, escaped the boredom of classes by wandering around Italy and practising photography in the field.
With his Volkswagen Beetle he explored the peninsula in all its extension, documenting a society in the midst of change, still weakened by the war but already reinvigorated by new hopes, with the North launched towards the metropolitan dream and the South struggling with reconstruction.
His portraits of beggars, aristocrats, nuns and street children give us one of the most vivid reportages of Italy in the 1960s: Gli Italiani remains a precious document today, capable of making us relive, with new eyes, a recent past and reflect on the cultural identity of our country.
In a career spanning over fifty years, Bruno Barbey (1941-2020) has documented international conflicts and social changes all over the world. It was thanks to the Les Italiens portfolio that he joined the prestigious Magnum Photos agency in 1964.
Admissions
Teachers, From 18 to 25 years old, People with disabilities
Holders Torino+Piemonte Card
Holders Abbonamento Musei Piemonte