The main themes of his work are people as well as the environment and nature, all of which he likes reflecting in black and white photos. For him, light is vital for life and pressing the shutter release on a camera is like breathing air.
After completing a technical degree his interest in photography grew and he worked as an assistant to international fashion photographers at Elle magazine in Paris. Attending a photography class at the Summer Academy in Salzburg along with Verena von Gagern and Michael Mauracher enabled him to develop a spiritual connection to the unknown language of photography.
In 1992 he presented his first solo exhibition Passerwasser, followed by the books Transumanza and Des Weges as well as other projects such as à Paris, Sole, Through the mild and wild Kurdistan, Farbenfrieden, Baalbek, nuclear con/fusion, All that jazz and Sabbioneta-Frangart. He takes part in group exhibitions and photography festivals, e.g. International Photography Gathering in Aleppo, Espace SD gallery in Beirut, Total Arts gallery in Dubai, Circuito OFF Fotografia Europea, Reggio Emilia and the Bolzano Art Weeks in Bolzano.
In 2024 he has been offered from Kunst Meran an artist residency at Künstlerhaus Salzburg and in addition he is presenting his De zona rubra exhibition at the Im Kult Atelier in Marlengo.
Education
2018
Masterclass Visual Storytelling with Alison Morley and Saul Metnick, Camera, Torino, Italy
2014
International EMBA, SMBS, Salzburg, Austria
1995 et al.
Workshops with Claude Nori, Guy Le Querrec et. al., Italy/Switzerland
1986
Salzburg International Summer academy of Fine Arts, Course photography with Verena von Gagern and Michael Mauracher, Salzburg, Austria
1984
Beverage Technology, Fachhochschule Wiesbaden, Geisenheim, Germany
Solo shows (selection)
2024
De zona rubra (catalogue), Atelier Im Kult, Marlengo + Raiffeisen Meran, Merano, Italy
Light in the cities I, Appendix Art Hub, Künstlerhaus Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
2014
All that jazz, Gries Art Space, Lana + University of Bolzano Library, Bolzano, Italy
2013
Through the mild Kurdistan (slide show), Kunsthaus Meran, Merano, Italy
2009
Through the mild Kurdistan, AtelierForum, Museion, Bolzano, Italy
2006
nuclear con/fusion, AP Gallery, Bolzano, Italy
2004
nuclear con/fusion (with Vera Lopes), Centre d’art Camac, Marney s/Seine, France
2002
All that Jazz, Parkhotel Laurin, Bolzano, Italy
2000
Sole, Vocational school Luis Zuegg, Merano, Italy
1998
à Paris, gallery Spectrum, Linz, Austria
1997
à Paris, gallery Fotoforum, Bolzano, Italy
Des Weges (book), Agricultural Museum Brunnenburg, Tirolo, Italy
1995
Passerwasser, Espace Vue d’Ailleurs, Paris, France
1994
Transumanza (book), Verein der Bücherwürmer, Lana, Italy
1993
Passerwasser, National Park Adamello, Saviore + gallery Fotoforum West, Innsbruck, Austria
1992
Passerwasser (catalogue), Lesesaal, Kurhaus, Merano, Italy
Group shows (selection)
2024
Homo ferens / Frauen tragen (catalogue), Museum Brunnenburg, Tirolo, Italy
Il mare dentro, Satura Palazzo Stella, Genova, Italy
2023
Bolzano Art Weeks, Gemeinschaftszentrum Maria Heim, Bolzano, Italy
2022
Bolzano Art Weeks, Atelier Louis Celia Zippo, Frangarto, Italy
2021
Artists for Merano, Palais Mamming, Merano, Italy
Sulla Luna e sulla Terra/fate largo ai sognatori! Circuito OFF-Fotografia Europea, Gualtieri, Italy
2017
Was ist Heimat? (catalogue), Touring exhibition, NöART, St. Pölten, Austria
2015
25 Jahre Galerie Spectrum (catalogue), OÖ Landesdienstleistungszentrum, Linz, Austria
2010
20 Jahre Galerie Spectrum, Linz, Austria
2009
4 x HerzBunker = Museum der Herzen, Museum der Herzen, Saltusio, Italy
Konflikte oder die Gegenwart in der Vergangenheit (catalogue), Tammerburg, Lienz, Austria
2006
summerendphotonights, open-air photofestival, Merano, Italy
2005
hypegallery, galleria Assab One-Ex Gea, Milan, Italy
2004
International Visual Art Exhibition (catalogue), gallery Total Arts, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Arredo, Fiera di Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
die nacht, la notte (catalogue), Gunpowder Tower, Merano, Italy
hypegallery.fr, online gallery, web
2003
Percorsi d’Arte (catalogue), Villa Graziani, San Giustino, Italy
Ten Views, gallery espace sd, Beirut, Lebanon
Foto in Cena, Espaço Sesc, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
10 Jahre Fotoforum, Galerie Fotoforum, Bolzano, Italy
2001
The 5th. International Photography Gathering (catalogue), Aleppo, Syria
Fotospectrum, Kammerhofgalerie of the city Gmunden, Gmunden, Austria
2000
10 Jahre Galerie Spectrum, Linz, Austria
Übergänge (book), Expo 2000, Hannover, Germany
1999 – 2002
Überblick: die Fotoszene in Südtirol (catalogue), Touring exhibition in seven galleries in Austria and Italy
1999
Hundert Jahre, Hundert Bilder (slide show + catalogue), Galerie Fotoforum, Bolzano, Italy
1998
Projekt Camera Obscura, Art school Gardeina, Ortisei, Italy
1994
Panorama – young art in South Tyrol (catalogue), fair area, Bolzano, Italy
panorama & panorama, Galerie Klemens Gasser, Bolzano, Italy
1993
Giovani fotografi italiani, Spazio Ansaldo, Milan, Italy
Giovani fotografi italiani (catalogue), Sala Piazza Grande, Modena, Italy
1989
150 Jahre Fotografie, Landesfürstliche Burg, Merano, Italy
1987
Bäume, Artgallery Volksbank, Merano, Italy
Experiences/Awards
2024
Minimalist Photography Awards 2024, Night Category Honorable Mention, Austria
Artist in residence, AIR, Künstlerhaus Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
2009
Nomination Durst Fotopreis with the Project Baalbek, Tammerburg, Lienz, Austria
2004
Artist in residence, Fondation Ténot, Centre d’art Camac, Marney s/Seine, France
2000
Brocia d’Or (award for communication in South Tyrol) for the book Des Weges, Bolzano, Italy
1998
Diploma for creative excellence, Hasselblad Open, International Photo Contest, Göteborg, Sweden
1996
Postgraduate grant from the Ministry of Culture for the book Des Weges, Bolzano, Italy
1990
Postgraduate grant from the Ministry of Culture for the project Passerwasser, Bolzano, Italy
1985
Assistant of fashion photographers, Studio Elle, Paris, France
1978
Photo award Alto Adige newspaper, Meran, Italy
Books/Catalogues
2024
De zona rubra, catalogue, 15 B/W photos colored by hand by Monika Hartl, text Heidy Kessler and Louis Celia Zippo, limited edition of 330 copies, numbered and signed by hand, 89books, Palermo, Italy
1997
Des Weges, book, 51 B/W photos, text Markus Vallazza, Edition Raetia, Bolzano, Italy
1994
Transumanza, book, 15 B/W and 61 color photos, text Siegfried W. de Rachewiltz and Roberto Togni, Edition Sturzflüge/Edition Löwenzahn, Bolzano/Innsbruck, Italy/Austria
1992
Passerwasser, catalogue, 15 B/W photos, text Ken Damy and Andreas Zipperle, limited edition of 550 copies, numbered and signed by hand, Merano, Italy
Collections
Raiffeisen Meran, Merano, Italy
Sammlung Stadt Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
Museum Brunnenburg, Tirolo, Italy
Centre d’art Camac, Marney s/Seine, France
Museo Ken Damy, Brescia, Italy
Museum der Herzen, Saltusio, Italy
Gallery Total Arts, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Kunstsammlung des Landes Oberösterreich, Linz, Austria
Sammlung des Tiroler Archivs für fotografische Kunst und Dokumentation, Lienz, Austria
Parkhotel Laurin, Bolzano, Italy
Private collections
