Olivo Barbieri's Early Works at Bergamo's Monastery of Astino

The Monastery of Astino, a 11th-century Vallombrosian foundation near Bergamo, now hosts an exhibition of early photographs by Olivo Barbieri. Titled 'Early Works' and curated by Corrado Benigni with a catalog from Silvana Editoriale, the show presents images from the early 1980s depicting everyday life in Italian cities and suburbs. Some works belong to the landmark project 'Viaggio in Italia', co-conceived by Luigi Ghirri in 1984, which redefined landscape photography. The monastery, restored by Fondazione MIA between 2012 and 2015, also houses the Valle della Biodiversità, an agricultural biodiversity project managed by the Orto Botanico di Bergamo that cultivates 300 food species with over 1,500 varieties. The surrounding fields are leased to young organic farmers. The exhibition runs alongside workshops and guided tours of the biodiversity valley.