Barbara Barberis

Barbara Barberis' photographic series RiMaflow documents the evolution of the Maflow factory, emptied of its machines by its boss then occupied by the workers who decided to create a new self-managed economy in order to save their jobs. Inside the factory's hangars are now a “House of Mutual Help, Citadel of Exchanges and Professions” a “Big Shop” and a recycling area. Offices, laboratories, stocks of various material incarnate a concept of an open factory, veritable incubator in which networks and social, economic and ecological activities meet in order to face the crisis. More than 35 occupations have been created and thrive in this citadel whose management model is based on principles of solidarity instead of classic market economy. RiMaflow – “ri” for rinascita (rebirth), riuso (reuse), riciclo (recycling), riappropriazione (reappropriation), reddito (revenue), rivolta (revolt), rivoluzione (revolution) – also reaffirms the existence of Maflow. The project is supported by artists such as Bert Theis, co-founder of the Isola Art Centre in Milan, whose work is oriented towards examples of practical utopia.

Barbara Barberis has been a member of Isola Art Centre since 2016 and takes an interest in modern landscapes, (suburbia, shopping centres). Her work has mostly been shown in Italy, at the l’OM-Milan Studio (2012), at Photofestival Milan/ HTTP_HyperText Transfer Photography (2015), at the Ram Studios in Milan (2015), at the Palazzo Marino/ Milan's City Hall (2015), at the Spazio Soderini/ International Photo Project Milan (2015) and at the Viridi/ Spazivisivi Sanremo (2017). From 2012 to 2015 she was part of AR.RI.VI (Archivio Ricerca Visiva) project and in 2014 co-founded CROP, a collective of young independent photographers who conduct meta-photographic thinking about nature and the meaning of image. Born in 1977 in Milan, she lives and works there.