The book Workforce by the Italian photographer Michele Borzoni deals with the consequences of the globalised economy, the technological revolution and increasing migration, which enormously pressured local producers in Europe. In a documentary, equidistant style, Borzoni photographed the current labour landscape in Italy as a case study for many other European countries.
‍

The book has a total of nine different chapters, of which each treats a part of the Italian workforce situation. The first chapter deals with the Logistic Centres, and in the first photo, we see the Amazon Centre, Castel San Giovanni (Piacenza). In the picture, we see a spacious hall crammed with shelves full of relatively tiny articles. On the side panels, we read the logistic numbers: D423. D422, etc. The introductory text reads: "The Amazon Fulfilment Centre in San Giovanni, near Piacenza, is as big as twelve football pitches." In other photos of the chapter, the reader gets an impression of how all the boxes are made ready for transport, gliding over long transport belts, dwarfing the spare labourers that work besides the belt. Cynical therefore is the photo of the entrance gates with slogans printed above each gate, saying: "Work Hard, Have Fun, Make History", reminding the spectator of similar text above historical camps of labour.

‍

Open Competitive Examinations

In a photo called 'Nuova Fiera di Roma, 2016' in the chapter Open Competitive Examinations, 1550 candidates in a vast hall are writing at their desks for their examinations for a job as a permanent art historian for the Ministry of Cultural Heritage. Only forty people are needed to fill the positions, a fraction of the number of candidates who have applied.

I wanted to show the scale of the job search in Italy.

In this approach, applying a high viewpoint, Michele Borzoni seems to refer to the photography of Andreas Gursky, the German photographer of the Düsseldorfer Schule. "Gurksy's style is on the background in this series. He is a photographer I admire very much. I wanted to show the scale of the job search in Italy. I only chose jobs with the government. The requirements there are stringent, but the candidates are offered a secure job. So, a lot of people applied for these kinds of jobs."
‍

More than 300,000 Africans work in Italian agriculture.

‍

African labourers

Another chapter, Day Labourers, shows the living quarters where day labourers live. There are no pictures of the workers themselves, but the often cramped and unhygienic spaces give a clear impression of their inhuman conditions. One photo shows an old caravan in an empty car park. "This is a temporary camp on the outskirts of Rosarno, in the province of Calabria in southern Italy. More than a hundred African day labourers live here during the orange harvest. More than 300,000 Africans work in Italian agriculture producing grapes, olives, lemons, oranges and other fruits. Many African workers live in ghettos and empty houses. They are almost always hired illegally. In these areas, the market is ruled by mafia-like organisations. The workers get meagre wages, which is the only way Italy can compete with the world market. What I found particularly strange to discover is that the government has legalised these work structures."
‍

Borzoni didn't want to portray the labourers themselves. "I don't want to tell the story in a dramatic way. Besides, the workers don't like to be portrayed either. I don't want to do it out of respect for their identity. So this is the best solution for me photographically and ethically."
‍

Future in own hands

The final chapter of Borzoni's extensive Workforce project is Workers' Buyouts. In the photographs, we see groups of Italian workers in their factories or workplace. They turn out to be the workers who took over their bankrupt company during the crisis. Italian producers of specialised, handmade products such as glass, bricks and musical instruments are the backbone of the Italian economy. "Globalisation has caused many companies in Italy to go bust. Companies that produce quality handmade goods cannot compete with China. I find it extraordinary that these people are trying again and taking their future into their own hands. They are almost always old family businesses. Now the workers themselves are the owners. It is also communism that the workers now become the owners of their factories. They all flourish in provinces like Tuscany, which were traditionally leftist. I have placed this chapter at the end of my book to express my hope for the future."
‍

World of production

Borzoni had been planning to do something about the economic crisis in Italy for some time. "When I read an article in the local newspaper about a company that had gone bankrupt, I decided to photograph that empty building. The whole series followed from that. I expanded it to other areas where the organisation of labour is important. I made a series about call centres, which now often move to cheap countries such as Albania. I did this project because many people have no idea how the products they buy are made. I want to portray the world of production, which often remains invisible."
‍

Neutral light

Borzoni takes all his shots with the analogue Mamiya RZ with a 65mm shift lens, overexposing his negatives to get light tones in the picture. He does not do any post-processing. "Many photographers look for a dramatic interpretation of documentary subjects. I want to photograph in a dry style, without emotions. The facts must tell their own story. That is why I avoid deep blacks and high contrasts. The light should also always be as neutral as possible."

‍

Michele Borzoni (1979) was born in Florence. He studied geology in Florence and later photography at the International Centre of Photography in New York. He did an internship with Magnum photographer Jonas Bendiksen. Borzoni teaches at the Fondazione Studio Marangoni in Florence. Together with other photographers, he founded the photographers collective TerraProject.

lartiere.com

terraproject.net