Antonio Barletti was born in the Mugello 51 years ago. He has a degree
in Modern Literature and is a photographer and ethnographer. Since 1970
he has travelled widely in Africa, Asia and Latin America gathering information
and inspiration for books of photographs and history (Dal Sahara al Tibet,
Afghanistan prima e dopo, In memoria dell'Afghanistan, Tibet e Paesi himalayani)
as well as for many exhibitions (which he has prepared and arranged himself)
on the Islamic and Himalayan way of life.
Despite his interest in distant lands however, he has always maintained
a deep affection for his birthplace and home and has already published
two books of photographs on the area: Mugello, published in 1980, and
Val di Sieve, 1985.
In 1980 he was a founding member of the Tuscan committee in support of
the Afghan resistance. In 1987 he created an Ethnographic Research Group,
for the purpose of collecting and preserving the remaining information
available regarding the material culture characteristic of ethnic groups
or economic communities, such as nomads, whose survival is threatened
by the cultural absorption so frequent today.
In 1994 he founded C.R.E.A. (an ethnographical-environmental research
centre) and designed an exhibition, with relevant catalogue (Rapaci. Nella
storia e in natura), on the subject of the complex and fascinating relationship
between man and birds of prey. His latest enterprise was the exhibition
Sciamani (Shamans) which had considerable success at the International
Exhibition of Ethnographic Documentaries held in Nuoro in October 1996.
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