Giant elephants and graceful dancing in South Africa

Impressive pachyderms and graceful dancers, in an oxymoronic combination of the wild beauty of South Africa and the sophistication of dance. There are 21 photographs by Ruggero Rosfer at the centre of the exhibition 'Dancing with Nature'.

"The exhibition, hosted by Fabbrica EOS, is a tale of Africa, of the imagery of Africa that has always, in some way, influenced us westerners. A way of telling how art, nature, the body and dance are in a continuous, never-ending dialogue,' explains curator Maria Vittoria Baravelli. And again: "The image, Dancing with nature I, at the beginning of the project, presents the dancers dancing in some way, letting themselves go, and in the background an animal, free to express itself, interacts with man in an affectionate way," adds the curator.

As for the realisation, it was "very complex because it involved working with a herd of semi-domestic elephants. Some were more manageable, others less so," says Rosfer, going on to explain that "there was a team of guardians who co-ordinated both the presence of the elephants in the various locations and other people for the dancers. So the dancers were in an environment that was not appropriate for them, and sometimes they even got minor injuries'.

Moreover, the photographer points out, "proceeding was quite arduous because we had two sets: one at dawn and one at dusk, to always have the sun behind the protagonists in order to illuminate them with the cinema lights in front. Honestly, I had a lot of faith in Sean, the owner of this herd of beautiful animals and this reserve, so I trusted him when he told me that I could work with the dominant male and the female, rather than the others. There were some quite 'sensitive' moments when the elephants got very close to the set and got nervous, but fortunately nothing dramatic happened and I also felt quite safe'.

Produced by ANIMAN, this fine exhibition offers an unprecedented insight into action, creativity, intimate awareness and commitment to preserving the beauty and future of the natural habitat of these wonderful mammals and beyond.