Elena Barthel is a Florentine architect, artist, and activist. She designed my home with her father (renowned interior designer Riccardo Barthel) which is located above their design store near Porta Romana in Florence.
“When I first met Rolando, he invited me to lunch. While admiring him cook, we discussed the manifestos I designed, which advocate for food justice. Rolando said he felt like he had walked into his church when he saw the posters. We realized this was serendipity and decided to collaborate on ‘The 10 Autentico Commandments’ combining his cookbook lessons and my manifestos.”
“I learned letterpress printing in Alabama from artist Amos Kennedy, who had a great sense of humor and justice. I experimented with his presses every weekend.”
“In 2008, I moved to Alabama to teach at Auburn University's Rural Studio, a design-build program in Hale County. It was my first time far away from Florence, and I lived there for a decade. The Rural Studio educates architecture students with a hands-on approach and a focus on sustainable and healthy rural living systems.”
“In 2014, I bought my first press from Paolo, who owned the historical Communist Party typography in Arezzo. Since then, I haven’t stopped printing and teaching others. This year, I brought a press to the Youth Jail in Florence, where young inmates can express themselves by printing manifestos. The workshop, run by ‘La Città Bambina’ and me, lets them explore nature and be heard. Their work is exhibited on Florence’s billboards, and a public auction is held to provide them with a little income.”
“Since 2020, I’ve been working on community projects for small public spaces. With the community delle Piagge in Florence, we aim to regenerate the soil of the square, build greenhouses, and cultivate for future generations.”
Comments