The well-known photographer was an expert in our canton, where he had also been a professor at the Mendrisio Academy. Ticinonews interviewed him on the occasion of one of his exhibitions in Chiasso.
Oliviero Toscani, who died during the night in Cecina hospital, had a close relationship with our canton. Toscani was a very early professor at the Mendrisio Academy of Architecture. Toscani had studied in Switzerland, following lessons at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zurich: “I find that Switzerland has been generous with me by allowing me to attend this cantonal school which was practically free”, he declared only a few months ago in an interview with Tvsvizzera.it , on the occasion of his exhibition in the city on the Limmat.
An exhibition dedicated to the photographic art of Tuscany was set up between 2017 and 2018 at the max museum in Chiasso. On that occasion, Ticinonews had the opportunity to interview him. “I am among the founders of the Mendrisio Academy of Architecture, every time I come to Ticino I am happy”, he commented. “Also because you are the southerners of Switzerland. You are lucky for this, the people of the South are more imaginative and warm-hearted. I even hoped that Ticino would become part of the Cisalpine Republic, but unfortunately nothing!” That day we asked him if there was still a particular photograph he wanted to take: “Of course, myself. Dead. It would be interesting…”, he replied. “Death doesn’t scare me, but it amuses me. Indeed, I look at these beautiful spaces of the max museo with my photos and I think that exhibitions of this level are held for artists who have died… and therefore I imagine a ghost wandering around the museum. In fact, you know what, now I’m going to write down my death date at the entrance!”.
Oliviero Toscani also witnessed one of the most tragic events in recent Ticino history: the accident in the Gotthard motorway tunnel on 24 October 2001. That day the photographer was traveling through the tunnel in the direction of Zurich, accompanied by his wife. Toscani was behind the truck that caused the accident, but managed to make a U-turn, exit the tunnel and alert the emergency services.
