{"id":24141,"date":"2026-06-25T14:12:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T12:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.obalne-galerije.si\/?p=24141"},"modified":"2026-07-24T14:49:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T12:49:46","slug":"breaking-the-circuit-of-control-field-research-in-brazil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.obalne-galerije.si\/en\/breaking-the-circuit-of-control-field-research-in-brazil\/","title":{"rendered":"FRANCESCO BERTOCCO. BREAKING THE CIRCUIT OF CONTROL"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Francesco Bertocco. <\/i><\/b>Breaking the Circuit of Control<\/i>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Curated by Gabi Scardi, with\u00a0<\/b>Mariagrazia Muscatello.<\/b><\/p>\n

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The exhibition will take place at <\/strong>Monfort Gallery, Portoroz, from 20.06.2026 until 23.08.2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The project <\/strong>Francesco Bertocco. Breaking the Circuit of Control<\/i>\u00a0is supported by the Directorate-General for Contemporary Creativity of the Italian Ministry of Culture under the Italian Council program (13th edition, 2024)<\/b>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\t\t<\/i> INTERVIEW WITH FRANCESCO BERTOCCO \u2192\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n
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CONTENT PRESENTATION<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
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Photo courtesy: Francesco Ferri.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Francesco Bertocco. Breaking the Circuit of Control<\/span><\/i> is a project by artist Francesco Bertocco, known for his research on the history of medicine and therapeutic practices. The work focuses on Franco Basaglia, the influential Italian psychiatrist and reformer whose radical ideas challenged institutional psychiatry. Basaglia\u2019s critique of coercive treatments and the notion of psychiatric \u201cdangerousness\u201d helped ignite a global anti-institutional movement that redefined mental health care.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bertocco\u2019s project centers on Basaglia\u2019s 1979 journey to Brazil, particularly his visit to Juqueri, once one of the world\u2019s largest psychiatric hospitals. Located fifty kilometers from S\u00e3o Paulo, Juqueri housed up to 100,000 patients between 1918 and 1990. Though now closed, the institution was fully active when Basaglia visited. His trip also included stops at the Col\u00f4nia Hospital in Barbacena, the Instituto Sedes Sapientiae, the Teatro de Cultura Art\u00edstica in S\u00e3o Paulo, and the University Hospital in Belo Horizonte. During this tour, he met with leading figures in Brazilian psychiatry and delivered a series of influential lectures.<\/span><\/p>\n

These lectures were later published in <\/span>Brazilian Conferences<\/span><\/i>, a work that captures both the urgency and the humanist passion of Basaglia\u2019s thought. His visit to Brazil was partly inspired by the powerful pen-and-ink portraits of Juqueri patients created in the early 1950s by Italian artist and designer Roberto Sambonet. These haunting images had a profound effect on Basaglia, symbolizing the violence of institutional marginalization.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even before this journey, Basaglia had been deeply influenced by Latin American thinkers such as Paulo Freire, author of <\/span>Pedagogy of the Oppressed<\/span><\/i>. He aligned himself with the region\u2019s broader emancipatory movements, including public protests against authoritarian regimes\u2014among them the 1974 Venice Biennale demonstration in solidarity with Chile, in which he participated.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bertocco\u2019s project revisits Basaglia\u2019s Brazilian journey through photography and video installation. By documenting Juqueri and staging scenes that evoke Basaglia\u2019s methods, the work explores themes central to his legacy: the perception and treatment of mental illness, the architecture of total institutions, and the role of infrastructure in shaping systems of control. It also reflects on the concept of confinement as a mechanism for excluding those deemed abnormal or dangerous. The spatial isolation of Juqueri\u2014closer to the forest than the city\u2014epitomizes this logic of exclusion.<\/span><\/p>\n

The project draws on the involvement of several Brazilian institutions engaged in ongoing debates around psychiatry and collective memory. Through a lens that intertwines past and present, Bertocco revisits a pivotal moment of cross-continental dialogue and critical resistance, honoring Basaglia\u2019s belief that real change is possible.<\/span><\/p>\n


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Content by Gabi Scardi, Tina Jazbec, Mariagrazia Muscatello.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

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THE EXHIBITION<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
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Exhibition\u00a0Francesco Bertocco. Breaking the Circuit of Control<\/em> –\u00a0<\/strong>
photographies, videoinstallation |\u00a0<\/strong>
Curated by Gabi Scardi, with Mariagrazia Muscatello |\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Piran Coastal Galleries, Monfort Gallery (Portoroz) |\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

From June 21, until August 23, 2026 –\u00a0<\/strong>
Opening: Saturday, June 20, at 7 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\t\t<\/i> FLYER: DOWNLOAD\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/p>\n

Francesco Bertocco. Breaking the Circuit of Control<\/span><\/i> is a project by artist Francesco Bertocco, known for his research on the history of medicine and therapeutic practices. The work focuses on Franco Basaglia, the influential Italian psychiatrist and reformer whose radical ideas challenged institutional psychiatry. Basaglia\u2019s critique of coercive treatments and the notion of psychiatric \u201cdangerousness\u201d helped ignite a global anti-institutional movement that redefined mental health care.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bertocco\u2019s project centers on Basaglia\u2019s 1979 journey to Brazil, particularly his visit to Juqueri, once one of the world\u2019s largest psychiatric hospitals. Located fifty kilometers from S\u00e3o Paulo, Juqueri housed up to 100,000 patients between 1918 and 1990. Though now closed, the institution was fully active when Basaglia visited. His trip also included stops at the Col\u00f4nia Hospital in Barbacena, the Instituto Sedes Sapientiae, the Teatro de Cultura Art\u00edstica in S\u00e3o Paulo, and the University Hospital in Belo Horizonte. During this tour, he met with leading figures in Brazilian psychiatry and delivered a series of influential lectures.<\/span><\/p>\n

These lectures were later published in <\/span>Brazilian Conferences<\/span><\/i>, a work that captures both the urgency and the humanist passion of Basaglia\u2019s thought. His visit to Brazil was partly inspired by the powerful pen-and-ink portraits of Juqueri patients created in the early 1950s by Italian artist and designer Roberto Sambonet. These haunting images had a profound effect on Basaglia, symbolizing the violence of institutional marginalization.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even before this journey, Basaglia had been deeply influenced by Latin American thinkers such as Paulo Freire, author of <\/span>Pedagogy of the Oppressed<\/span><\/i>. He aligned himself with the region\u2019s broader emancipatory movements, including public protests against authoritarian regimes\u2014among them the 1974 Venice Biennale demonstration in solidarity with Chile, in which he participated.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bertocco\u2019s project revisits Basaglia\u2019s Brazilian journey through photography and video installation. By documenting Juqueri and staging scenes that evoke Basaglia\u2019s methods, the work explores themes central to his legacy: the perception and treatment of mental illness, the architecture of total institutions, and the role of infrastructure in shaping systems of control. It also reflects on the concept of confinement as a mechanism for excluding those deemed abnormal or dangerous. The spatial isolation of Juqueri\u2014closer to the forest than the city\u2014epitomizes this logic of exclusion.<\/span><\/p>\n

The project draws on the involvement of several Brazilian institutions engaged in ongoing debates around psychiatry and collective memory. Through a lens that intertwines past and present, Bertocco revisits a pivotal moment of cross-continental dialogue and critical resistance, honoring Basaglia\u2019s belief that real change is possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

Content by: Gabi Scardi, Mara Ambro\u017ei\u010d Verderber, Mariagrazia Muscatello.<\/span><\/p>\n

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RESEARCH IN BRAZIL<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
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Field Research in Brazil:\u00a0<\/b>April 20 \u2013 May 26, 2025.<\/b><\/p>\n

MAC USP (Museum of Contemporary Art of the University of S\u00e3o Paulo), Teatro de Cultura Art\u00edstica, S\u00e3o Paulo Biennial Archive, Instituto Sedes Sapientiae, Juqueri Complex, Os\u00f3rio C\u00e9sar Art Museum, Bispo do Ros\u00e1rio Museum, Polo Experimental, Museu de Imagens do Inconsciente, Hospital Col\u00f4nia de Barbacena, Museu da Loucura (Museum of Madness).<\/span><\/p>\n

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MAC USP (Museum of Contemporary Art of the University of S\u00e3o Paulo)<\/em><\/p>\n

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From April 20 to May 26, 2025, artist Francesco Bertocco and curators Mariagrazia Muscatello and Gabi Scardi travelled through Brazil on a research and production journey as part of the international art project <\/span>Francesco Bertocco. Breaking the Circuit of Control<\/i>, which unfolded throughout 2025. The project investigates the legacy of Italian psychiatrist Franco Basaglia and his influence on contemporary understandings of psychiatry, institutional critique, and the role of visual culture in relation to manipulation of individuals and the reconstruction of collective memory.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fieldwork, filming, and archival research took place in S\u00e3o Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Barbacena, focusing on key institutions, historical sites, and individuals linked to the history and social relevance of psychiatric reform.<\/span><\/p>\n

The team was in S\u00e3o Paulo from April 22 to May 10, 2025, and visited:<\/span><\/p>\n