Biographical Sketch

The Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo and its Patronato, following the activities regarding the context of the International Image Fest 2017 on its seventh edition, is honored to have the participation of Oliviano Toscani as Distinguished Visiting Professor of the UAEH, being one the most outstanding italian photographers, internationally renowned as the creative force behind some of the world's most successful brands, creating through the years corporate images and advertising campaigns for companies such as Esprit, Chanel, Fiorucci, Prenatal and many more. Toscani has also collaborated as fashion photographer for international magazines like Elle, Vogue, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, Esquire, Stern, Liberation and many more.

In 1965, Toscani obtained a B.A in Photography and Design from the Kunstgewerbeshule on Zurich. In 1990, he conceived, created and directed Colors, the world's first global magazine, making it a cult magazine soon to be followed by editorial and communication forefront runners from all around the world. In 1993 he invented, founded and directed Fabrica, the international center for arts and modern communication research. In this center, students from all over the world are invited to specialize in different fields, such as: editorial projects, music, video, photography, T.V shows, and exhibitions, to mention some of them.

Toscani's work has been exhibited at the Biennale of Venice, Triennale of Milan and museums of modern art in Mexico City, Helsinky, Rome, Lausanne, Frankfurt, San Paolo and other cities. Also, its published works have been awarded in different countries. In 2005, after decades of innovation in editorial, advertising, film and television, Toscani founded La Sterpaia, a renaissance vision of a workshop for modern communication research. From 2008, Toscani is travelling all around the world with his project RAZZA UMANA. A project with the aim to discover the variety of human morphology and conditions. The photographs and videos become part of a multimedia archive and will be the subject of publications and traveling exhibitions.

Among his awards, these are the most important:

• Four time winner of the Lion D’or, Cannes Festival
• UNESCO Grand Prix
• Grand Prix d'Affichage
• Creative Hero at the Saatchi & Saatchi Cleo Hero Show, 2007.