Olivo Barbieri narrates China with 150 unpublished shots in Turin

From February 20 to September 7, 2025, Intesa Sanpaolo opens at Gallerie d’Italia - Turin the exhibition Olivo Barbieri. Spazi Altri, an extensive retrospective curated by Corrado Benigni that explores the relationship between the celebrated photographer Olivo Barbieri (Carpi, 1954) and China, documented over 30 years.

The exhibition is part of the La Grande Fotografia Italiana cycle, a project launched in 2022 to celebrate the great masters of the 20th century. After Lisetta Carmi, Mimmo Jodice and Antonio Biasiucci, it is the turn of Barbieri, whose work stands out for its ability to transform reality into a vision that oscillates between documentation and representation.

China according to Barbieri: between transformation and perception

In 1989, during his first trip to China, Barbieri found himself an involuntary witness to the events of Tiananmen Square. From that moment, the country becomes a privileged observatory for him, a place where contradictions emerge powerfully: antiquity and hypermodernity, tradition and innovation, stillness and frenzy. His photography becomes an investigation of change and the social, economic and cultural implications of a transition that affects the entire planet.

The exhibition brings together more than 150 images, including large-scale triptychs and two picture galleries, summarizing the author’s research from 1989 to 2019. Many of the shots on display are previously unpublished, offering the public a new and original view of Barbieri’s artistic journey.

Barbieri’s stylistic signature is immediately recognizable. His use of selective focus, aerial shots and manipulation of light transform reality into a kind of plastic model, a model under construction. His images, far from simple reportage, are characterized by long exposures, artificial lighting and saturated colors, elements that alter the viewer’s perception.

An immersive experience between images and sounds

In addition to the photographic exhibition, the exhibition itinerary will be enriched with audio content that can be downloaded via the Gallerie d’Italia app, with in-depth insights into the artist’s works and working method. In addition, the public will be able to participate in a series of free events as part of the #INSIDE program, which will offer dedicated meetings and discussions every Wednesday.

The Feb. 20 opening will feature Olivo Barbieri himself, who at 6 p.m. will dialogue with curator Corrado Benigni and Roberto Koch, director of the La Grande Fotografia Italiana project. Following this, from 7 p.m., the artist will be available for a signacopy of the exhibition catalog, published by Società Editrice Allemandi. The exhibition project is part of the broader program of Intesa Sanpaolo’s Gallerie d’Italia, which, with its branches in Turin, Milan, Naples and Vicenza, carries on a leading cultural activity. Leading it is Michele Coppola, the bank’s Executive Director Art, Culture and Historical Assets and General Director of Gallerie d’Italia.

“The series dedicated to the masters of Italian photography now features Olivo Barbieri, with works of extraordinary grandeur and beauty that tell the story of China,” says Michele Coppola, Executive Director Art, Culture and Historical Assets of Intesa Sanpaolo. “His images, brought together for the first time in an exhibition, arouse curiosity, interest and reflections on a country undergoing profound transformations. The originality of this project confirms the leadership role of Turin’s Gallerie d’Italia in the world of photography, capable of bringing together the talent and sensitivity of important artists. This is also an opportunity to present the first catalog of Allemandi’s new course, with a book dedicated to the exceptional work of a great photographer.”

Olivo Barbieri narrates China with 150 unpublished shots in Turin

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