Olivo Barbieri
Encyclopedia
Olivo Barbieri is an Italian
artist and photographer of urban environments.
He is recognized for his innovative technique creating miniature still photography from actual landscapes by simulating shallow depth of field via the use of tilt-shift lens photography. Barbieri's technique simulates the shallow depth of field effect of macro photography by tilting the lens's angle to the back plane of the camera, which creates a gradual blurring at the top and bottom edges, or left and right edges of the filmed image. The technique is called selected focus and the effect is that picture of an actual city looks like the picture of a model.
Barbieri began his career in photography studying at DAMS (Drama, Art and Music Studies) at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Bologna
. After 1971, his interest in photography grew and, initially, he focused his research on artificial lighting. In 1978, he took part in several exhibitions in Italy and also abroad. In 1989 he started to travel regularly to the Far East, particularly to China.
In 1993, 1995 and 1997 Barbieri exhibited his work at the Venice Biennale
, among other international exhibitions, and in galleries and museums throughout Europe, North America, and China. In 1996, the Museum Folkwang
in Essen
, Germany, devoted a retrospective to his work, which has been collected by museums worldwide.
In 2003 Barbieri started the Site Specific project (photos and films) describing cities like Rome, Turin, Montreal, Amman, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Siviglia, New York and others. He has realised several 35mm films within this project:
Site specific_ROMA 04 was exhibited in 2005 at Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
, at the Hayward Gallery of London and at Museo di arte moderna e contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto (MART).
In 2005 he also started two series of movies called Seascape# and Riverscape#, which include:
Other movies realised by Barbieri are:
Barbieri's films have been presented in the most important international festivals, including:
He lives and works in Milan
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
artist and photographer of urban environments.
He is recognized for his innovative technique creating miniature still photography from actual landscapes by simulating shallow depth of field via the use of tilt-shift lens photography. Barbieri's technique simulates the shallow depth of field effect of macro photography by tilting the lens's angle to the back plane of the camera, which creates a gradual blurring at the top and bottom edges, or left and right edges of the filmed image. The technique is called selected focus and the effect is that picture of an actual city looks like the picture of a model.
Barbieri began his career in photography studying at DAMS (Drama, Art and Music Studies) at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Bologna
University of Bologna
The Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university in the world, the word 'universitas' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...
. After 1971, his interest in photography grew and, initially, he focused his research on artificial lighting. In 1978, he took part in several exhibitions in Italy and also abroad. In 1989 he started to travel regularly to the Far East, particularly to China.
In 1993, 1995 and 1997 Barbieri exhibited his work at the Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
, among other international exhibitions, and in galleries and museums throughout Europe, North America, and China. In 1996, the Museum Folkwang
Museum Folkwang
Museum Folkwang is a major collection of 19th and 20th century art in Essen, Germany. The museum was established in 1922 by merging the Essener Kunstmuseum, which was founded in 1906, and the private Folkwang Museum of the collector and patron Karl Ernst Osthaus in Hagen, founded in 1901.The term...
in Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
, Germany, devoted a retrospective to his work, which has been collected by museums worldwide.
In 2003 Barbieri started the Site Specific project (photos and films) describing cities like Rome, Turin, Montreal, Amman, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Siviglia, New York and others. He has realised several 35mm films within this project:
- site specific_ROMA 04
- site specific_SHANGHAI 04
- site specific_LAS VEGAS 05
- SEVILLA → (∞) 06
- site specific_MODENA 08
Site specific_ROMA 04 was exhibited in 2005 at Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is a contemporary art museum near Water Tower Place in downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The museum, which was established in 1967, is one of the world's largest contemporary art venues...
, at the Hayward Gallery of London and at Museo di arte moderna e contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto (MART).
In 2005 he also started two series of movies called Seascape# and Riverscape#, which include:
- Seascape#1 Night, China Shenzhen, 05
- Seascape#2 Castel dell’Ovo, Napoli, 06
- Rivescape#1, Night, China Shanghai 2007
Other movies realised by Barbieri are:
- Beijing Sky, 2007
- 5 Colori, 2008
- TWIY, 2008
- Tuscany in 6 pieces, 2010
Barbieri's films have been presented in the most important international festivals, including:
- Locarno Film Festival 2004,2005, 2008;
- International Film Festival RotterdamInternational Film Festival RotterdamThe International Film Festival Rotterdam is an annual film festival held in various cinemas in Rotterdam, Netherlands held at the end of January. It is approximately comparable in size to other major European festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and Locarno...
2004, 2006; - Medien und architectktur Biennale Graz 2005-2007;
- Toronto International Film Festival 2005, 2006;
- Wexner Center for the ArtsWexner Center for the ArtsThe Wexner Center for the Arts is The Ohio State University’s multidisciplinary, international laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art...
, Columbus, Ohio 2006; - New York Film FestivalNew York Film FestivalThe New York Film Festival has been a major film festival since it began in 1963 in New York. The films are selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center...
2006; - Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film FestivalThe Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
2006, 2008; - San Francisco International Film FestivalSan Francisco International Film FestivalSan Francisco International Film Festival is the oldest continuously running film festival in the Americas. Organized by the San Francisco Film Society, the International is held each spring for two weeks, presenting an average of 150 films from over 50 countries...
2006, 2007; - Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film ArchiveBerkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film ArchiveThe Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive is associated with the University of California at Berkeley. The director is Lawrence Rinder who was appointed in 2008.-Collection:...
, Berkeley 2006, 2007; - Walker Art CenterWalker Art CenterThe Walker Art Center is a contemporary art center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The Walker is considered one of the nation's "big five" museums for modern art along with the Museum of Modern Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum and the Hirshhorn...
, Minneapolis 2007; - MoMAMuseum of Modern ArtThe Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
, New York 2007; - Jeu De Paume, Paris 2007;
- Tate Modern, London 2007;
- Berlin Film Festival 2007.
He lives and works in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
Books
Several books and catalogues have been published on Barbieri’s work, including:- Paesaggi in Miniatura, Udine 1991
- Notte, Udine 1991
- Olivo Barbieri seit 1978, Museum Folgwan, Essen 1996
- Illuminazioni Artificiali, Milan 1995, Washington, D.C. 1998
- Notsofareast, Rome 2002
- Paintings, Florence 2002
- site Specific_Roma 04, Rome 2004
- site Specific_Las Vegas 05, Toronto 2005
- site specific_SHANGHAI 04, Bologna 2006
- site specific_NYC 07, Carpi 2007
- TWIY, Napoli 2008
- site specific_JORDAN 04, Genova 2008
- The Waterfall Project, Bologna 2008
- site specific_BEIJING 08, Alcamo 2008
Awards
Barbieri has won several awards and prizes for his work:- 2008 SEVILLA → (∞) 06, Nashville Film FestivalNashville Film FestivalThe Nashville Film Festival , held annually in Nashville, Tennessee, is the oldest running film festival in the South and one of the oldest in the United States. In 2009, Nashville Film Festival received close to 2000 submissions from 86 countries, programmed nearly 260 films and had an attendance...
, Best Experimental Short - 2006 site specific_LAS VEGAS, San Francisco Film Festival, New Visions
- 2006 site specific_ROMA 04, Median und Arkitecture Biennale, Graz, Austria
- 1992 Higashikawa AwardHigashikawa PrizeThe has been awarded to photographers by the "Phototown" of Higashikawa, Hokkaidō since 1985. The Overseas and Domestic Photographer prizesare of 500,000 yen and the New Photographer and Special prizes are of 300,000 yen....
, Japan, The Overseas Photographer Prize - 1990 Premio Friuli Venezia Giulia Fotografia, Italy