My participation in Carnivals starts in 1993 in Rio de Janeiro. Twelve hundred pictures. Not all of them perfect, of course, but lots of good material.

In 1994 it is Rio again, and in 1995 it was the first time in Venice.
Very cold weather, but neat masks. And an exhibit is being made in the Museo di Palazzo Fortuny with the pictures I took in the Rio de Janeiro's carnivals I had been in the two previous years. Exhibit produced by the popular Carnival director Bruno Tosi, bound to show different carnival celebrations around the worlds, at the appreciation of all carnival participants.

1996: Venice for the second time. But in the meanwhile another exhibit was set up in Rio de Janeiro to show cariocas the classy venetian carnival. The exhibit took place in the Casa de Cultura Laura Alvim, right on one of the more lovely spots of Ipanema. The Istituto Italiano di Cultura sponsored it, and the Brazilian press gave a good coverage to the event, reporting it for the success it definitely was. I wasn't there for the opening, and the feeling of absence at my solo exhibit was simply delicious. I decided then to never attend again the opening of my future exhibits. It's so much fun!

In the same days of the Carnival '96 another exhibition of my Rio pictures is set up right in the heart of Venice, in the lobby of the famous and traditional restaurant "Al Colombo",  where the walls are covered with paintings from artists from all over the world, and the cooking is simply delicious.

And in 1997, working for the web site www.carnaval.com of San Francisco, I was once again in the arena of the Sambodrome. The year when a huge black cart with people painted in black was representing a "black hole during the birth of the universe". It was a success. Hard to photograph, though.

It is 1998, and for the third time I attend the Carnival in Venice. Its famous and beautiful parties, a glorious weather, Ornella Muti wonderful "madrina" of the carnival, spring approaching. Other one thousand pictures or so entered in my archive. Venice is always beautiful, new masks and new people were met on the "liston", the web site about the carnival got created as a reference to historians and carnival lovers.

1999 comes, and I experience another (albeit much younger ...) Carnival. San Francisco, California! With Brazilian music, but mixing up different cultures and carnivals, the San Francisco Carnival walks on Mission street in May, a better climate even for this area.

The year 2000 sees me in wonderful Venice again. Gorgeous masks, wonderful ballrooms and nice happy people. The weather has been so good this time that it barely seemed to be in the North Hemisphere during winter!

And, since Carnival in San Francisco comes in May ... should I have missed it?

Another exhibit goes off at the Museo ItaloAmericano in San Francisco.
Venetian pictures with original (and beautiful) masks provided by Nova Venezia International.

And another one always about Venice has been done in the University of Stockton, CA.

Things move on.

www.delpiano.com begins its work of becoming a reference for Carnival and Carnival history.