Breaking the Circuit of Control

Breaking the Circuit of Control is a project by Francesco Bertocco dedicated to the cultural legacy of Franco Basaglia, a key figure in the transformation of modern psychiatry and a champion of a radical critique of total institutions. At the heart of the research lies Basaglia’s 1979 trip to Brazil, with particular focus on the former Juquery psychiatric hospital, one of the largest asylums in the world. By retracing the various stages of his journey, meeting witnesses and visiting places marked by the history of institutionalisation, Bertocco constructs a visual investigation that weaves together photography, video and documentary research. Drawing also on the dialogic nature of the lectures and public debates held by Basaglia throughout his trip, the project reflects on the link between political activism, psychiatric practices and human rights, opening up a broader reflection on mechanisms of control, the role of institutional architecture and the forms of confinement reserved for those perceived as different, alien and, for this reason, socially excluded.