The toys in Tommaso Barsali’s photograph series remind us that, given the opportunity, inspiration makes it possible to create, rather than destroy.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOMMASO BARSALI TEXT BY ONUR AYMETE
Documentary photographer Tommaso Barsali admits to feeling a deep sense of admiration for Bellucci’s creations, the moment he set eyes on them. Franco Bellucci was restrained in his hospital bed for 15 years, after suffering brain damage from an inflammatory disease he developed during early childhood. Even Reformation Law 180 of 1978, aimed at preventing inhumane practices at mental institutions, following the efforts of whistle-blower Psychiatrist Franco Basaglia, was not enough to grant Bellucci freedom.
Hulk’s Toys is like a journey into the mind of Franco Bellucci, all of his toys have one thing in common: they are invariably wrapped with cables, chains or coils. A toy, made up of two beefy male torsos and two heads, is fastened with a blue cable – a screaming dinosaur is surrounded by a red coil. Could these knots be a reminder of the restraints that kept Bellucci tied to the hospital bed for decades? Or could it be that he installs a plate of armour around these discarded toys, in the hope of preserving his own identity?
The toys in Tommaso Barsali’s photograph series remind us that, given the opportunity, inspiration makes it possible to create, rather than destroy.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOMMASO BARSALI TEXT BY ONUR AYMETE
Documentary photographer Tommaso Barsali admits to feeling a deep sense of admiration for Bellucci’s creations, the moment he set eyes on them. Franco Bellucci was restrained in his hospital bed for 15 years, after suffering brain damage from an inflammatory disease he developed during early childhood. Even Reformation Law 180 of 1978, aimed at preventing inhumane practices at mental institutions, following the efforts of whistle-blower Psychiatrist Franco Basaglia, was not enough to grant Bellucci freedom.
Hulk’s Toys is like a journey into the mind of Franco Bellucci, all of his toys have one thing in common: they are invariably wrapped with cables, chains or coils. A toy, made up of two beefy male torsos and two heads, is fastened with a blue cable – a screaming dinosaur is surrounded by a red coil. Could these knots be a reminder of the restraints that kept Bellucci tied to the hospital bed for decades? Or could it be that he installs a plate of armour around these discarded toys, in the hope of preserving his own identity?
The toys in Tommaso Barsali’s photograph series remind us that, given the opportunity, inspiration makes it possible to create, rather than destroy.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOMMASO BARSALI TEXT BY ONUR AYMETE
Documentary photographer Tommaso Barsali admits to feeling a deep sense of admiration for Bellucci’s creations, the moment he set eyes on them. Franco Bellucci was restrained in his hospital bed for 15 years, after suffering brain damage from an inflammatory disease he developed during early childhood. Even Reformation Law 180 of 1978, aimed at preventing inhumane practices at mental institutions, following the efforts of whistle-blower Psychiatrist Franco Basaglia, was not enough to grant Bellucci freedom.
Hulk’s Toys is like a journey into the mind of Franco Bellucci, all of his toys have one thing in common: they are invariably wrapped with cables, chains or coils. A toy, made up of two beefy male torsos and two heads, is fastened with a blue cable – a screaming dinosaur is surrounded by a red coil. Could these knots be a reminder of the restraints that kept Bellucci tied to the hospital bed for decades? Or could it be that he installs a plate of armour around these discarded toys, in the hope of preserving his own identity?
POSITOPIA
17
OUT NOW
is a large format international biannual magazine from Istanbul. Focusing on arts, culture and society, each issue tackles various universal subjects within a distinct theme.
Address
Mim Kemal Öke Cad. No.6 D.6 Nişantaşı, Şişli, İstanbul, Turkey
+90 212 232 4288
contact@212magazine.com
POSITOPIA
17
OUT NOW
is a large format international biannual magazine from Istanbul. Focusing on arts, culture and society, each issue tackles various universal subjects within a distinct theme.
Address
Mim Kemal Öke Cad. No.6 D.6 Nişantaşı, Şişli, İstanbul, Turkey
+90 212 232 4288
contact@212magazine.com
POSITOPIA
17
OUT NOW
is a large format international biannual magazine from Istanbul. Focusing on arts, culture and society, each issue tackles various universal subjects within a distinct theme.
Address
Mim Kemal Öke Cad. No.6 D.6 Nişantaşı, Şişli, İstanbul, Turkey
+90 212 232 4288
contact@212magazine.com