In 1978, the Basaglia law in Italy sanctioned the closure of asylums and focused on eliminating discrimination against mental disorders. Today, we still have not eradicated the stigma surrounding mental health. The WHO estimates that more than 400 million people worldwide suffer from cognitive imbalances. On the other hand, misinformation and prejudice force everyone to isolate themselves out of shame or fear of labels such as "crazy", "weird", and so on. Mind Colors is an ongoing project that began in May 2020 and is done in collaboration with psychiatric patients.
Flavia Piola is an Italian documentary photographer based between Rome and Milan. In 2019 she graduated from the Istituto Superiore di Fotografia in Rome, and in 2021 gained a Master's degree in Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism from the International Center of Photography in New York. Member of Women Photograph, she won the Hillman Foundation Fellowship 2022 for her project “Mind Colors”, realized in collaboration with people affected by psychiatric disorders. Mifa Honorable Mention 2019 and 2021, she exhibited her photos in Rome, Todi and New York.
