Bruno Barbey. The Italians — Exhibition at Villa Mussolini, Riccione

Bruno Barbey. The Italians — Villa Mussolini, Riccione

Opening 4 April 2026, the exhibition dedicated to Bruno Barbey's reportage shot between 1961 and 1964 will be on view at Villa Mussolini in Riccione. The show features a curated selection of black-and-white photographs documenting an Italy in transition, caught between wartime legacies and the promises of economic growth.

The display juxtaposes social rituals, landscapes and classes—ranging from urban scenes to rural communities, workplaces and leisure spaces. Many images possess a theatrical quality that resonates with the period's Italian cinema and stage traditions.

Organization and curation

• Promoter: Municipality of Riccione
• Organizers: RJMA Progetti Culturali and Creation
• Curators: Caroline Thiénot-Barbey and Alberto Rossetti

The exhibition begins with an introductory video accompanied by period music and continues through thematic sections where photographs are paired with twentieth-century literary texts to provide broader cultural context.

Participatory project

Alongside the exhibition runs the Generazione Riviera project, inviting residents and visitors to submit family-album photographs. Submitted images will be digitized and added to an evolving collective archive, creating a dialogue between Barbey's vision and contemporary memories.

Why visit

• A key visual document for understanding Italy in the 1960s.
• Photographs personally selected by the photographer compose a layered, collective narrative.
• An exhibition format that combines images, texts and multimedia elements.

Practical information

• Opening date: 4 April 2026
• Venue: Villa Mussolini, Riccione
• Promoter and organizers: Municipality of Riccione; RJMA Progetti Culturali and Creation
• Curators: Caroline Thiénot-Barbey and Alberto Rossetti
• Generazione Riviera: submissions of archival photographs welcome; check the official event channels for submission details and visiting hours

For updated visiting hours, ticketing and guided tours please consult the venue's official website or the Municipality of Riccione's cultural pages. The exhibition offers a valuable opportunity to engage with Bruno Barbey's testimony on social and cultural change in post-war Italy.