2nd place
silver star award
Heinrich Wegmann
italy 
title
The Egetmann Parade
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.
Most commentators see in the Egetmann pageant and its characters references to ancient fertility rites and pre-Christian pagan sacrifices.
What we can say for sure is that the Egetmann pageant, with its origins in the medieval tradition of Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras) symbolises the struggle between light and darkness, between good and evil, and the advent of spring and fertility.
The Egetmann Pageant is a very important social event for the whole village of Tramin. Paradoxical as it may seem, the pageant does not need spectators: it exists for the actors themselves, to have fun and to let their hair down. In this way it differs from the rather sterile carnival parades in some bigger cities.
In 1985, he travelled for the first time to China. This marked the beginning of his fascination of other cultures and the curiosity of their everyday lives. He then visited Tibet, Nepal, India and Russia living amongst the communities for months at a time in his quest to understand the different cultures.
As his love for photography grew, so did his interest in participating in exhibitions and photography competitions. But in this he had to do in his free time as he still had a full time job managing an Architectural firm.
In 1999, he made his first trip to Brazil to document through photography the “Quilombo”, the descendants of the runaway slaves from their Portuguese masters. He went back the following year for the project “Catadores do Mundo”, a documentary on the people living on the garbage dumpsites of Joao Pessoa. In 2012, he took the project concept “Catadores do Mundo” to Kenya where he documented through photographs, the people living in and making a living in the Dandora garbage dumpsite and in Korogocho, the 2nd largest slum in Kenya.
He presently lives and works fulltime as a photographer in Bolzano, Italy. He is married to a Brazilian lady and has 2 daughters. One can find samples of his work at www.smeidart.com
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entry description
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.
Most commentators see in the Egetmann pageant and its characters references to ancient fertility rites and pre-Christian pagan sacrifices.
What we can say for sure is that the Egetmann pageant, with its origins in the medieval tradition of Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras) symbolises the struggle between light and darkness, between good and evil, and the advent of spring and fertility.
The Egetmann Pageant is a very important social event for the whole village of Tramin. Paradoxical as it may seem, the pageant does not need spectators: it exists for the actors themselves, to have fun and to let their hair down. In this way it differs from the rather sterile carnival parades in some bigger cities.
about the photographer
Heinrich Wegmann was born in 1960 in South Tyrol, Italy. His interest in photography began at an early age of about 12 years old where he picked it up as a hobby and has developed into a deep passion today. His knowledge and expertise in photography is completely self-taught. After completing his secondary school, he studied Architecture at the university in Innsbruck, Austria until 1988, when he moved to Venice, Italy, where he finished his university studies in 1995.In 1985, he travelled for the first time to China. This marked the beginning of his fascination of other cultures and the curiosity of their everyday lives. He then visited Tibet, Nepal, India and Russia living amongst the communities for months at a time in his quest to understand the different cultures.
As his love for photography grew, so did his interest in participating in exhibitions and photography competitions. But in this he had to do in his free time as he still had a full time job managing an Architectural firm.
In 1999, he made his first trip to Brazil to document through photography the “Quilombo”, the descendants of the runaway slaves from their Portuguese masters. He went back the following year for the project “Catadores do Mundo”, a documentary on the people living on the garbage dumpsites of Joao Pessoa. In 2012, he took the project concept “Catadores do Mundo” to Kenya where he documented through photographs, the people living in and making a living in the Dandora garbage dumpsite and in Korogocho, the 2nd largest slum in Kenya.
He presently lives and works fulltime as a photographer in Bolzano, Italy. He is married to a Brazilian lady and has 2 daughters. One can find samples of his work at www.smeidart.com
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