Open Theme nominee

Every odd year a small village amidst the Dolomites awakes from its winter sleep. Just after the Magi, with nightfall, wild beings populate the streets. This is the proclamation of the marriage of the “Egetmann”,which takes place Shrove Tuesday. Every saturday the marriage company with the dragon like figures (Schnappviecher), announces the wedding of the “Egetmann” in every market place of the village. Going from fountain to fountain, the pageant ends whith a big celebration at the main place of Tramin. There is a figure connected to the pagan symbolism of spring and who drives away the winter: the “Schnappvieh” or “Wudele”, a sort of dragon without ears but with horns, and covered in skins. His lower jaw opens and closes with a loud noise, always on the lookout for prey. This dragon-like creature is two metres tall, and there is usually a whole group of them. They are always followed by the butcher who, at each of the stops at the many fountains, captures one of them and kills it, another ritual of spring banishing the bad spirits of winter.
Documented records go back to 1591.

2015 ND Awards: 2nd Place in People: Travel/Culture USA
Honorable Mention bei IPA 2015; Deeper Perspective; The Egetmann USA
Honorable Mention at IPA One Shot: Home USA
Performance Award at HPA2015. China
2014 Honorable Mention at IPA-Award 2014;Night Photography Category: "Rites of South Tirol/Italia". USA
ND Awards 2014 Honorable Mention, Photojournalism-story: Chokorá end People: Children USA
Finalist 34rd Annual Spring Photography Contest California USA
2013 Honorable Mention at IPA-Award 2013; Deeper Perspective category: Chokorá, Los Angeles, USA
Honorable Mention at 33º Annual Spring Photography Contest; Photographer´s Forum magazine;
Santa Barbara, California, USA;
Finalist at FoFu Challenge 2013 Fucecchio Italy
Honorable Mention 33rd Annual Spring Photography Contest California USA
Nomination for the fifth cycle of the Prix Pictet by Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Fondation USA
1992 “Giovani Fotografi Italiani 92” Turin Italy
1991 “76. Bevilacqua la Masa” Venice Italy
1986 „Interieur 86“ 10e Biennale der Wohnkreativität Kortrijk Belgium