Ashes and Snow - The Gregory Colbert Collection

Image by Gregory Colbert

Gregory Colbert is a Canadian-born artist who began his career making documentaries. This led to his work as a fine arts photographer. His first public exhibition featured in the Musée de l'Elysée in Switzerland in 1992. Following this he spent the next 10 years traveling to countries within Burma, Dominica, Egypt, Kenya, Sri Lanka, India, Ethiopia, Tonga, Namibia, and Antarctica where he filmed and photographed the interactions between animals and human beings

In 2002, the Ashes and Snow exhibition was launched in Italy at the Venice Arsenale, Ashes and Snow was the largest solo exhibition ever mounted in Italy. In 2005, the Nomadic Museum, debuted with the opening of Ashes and Snow in New York City. Following this the museum travelled to Santa Monica in 2006 and onto Tokyo in 2007.

In 2008 the exhibition travelled to Mexico City, the museum was the largest bamboo structure in history. It was designed by Colombian architect Simón Vélez.

Over 10 Million visitors have attended this exhibition. It is the most attended exhibition by a living artist in history

The Nomadic Museum is a temporary, transportable structure that was specially conceptualised and built specifically for the exhibition.

None of the films or photographs have been digitally collaged or superimposed.

Elephants, leopards, crocodiles, meerkats, jackals and sperm whales are among the 130 different species he has worked with over the 10 year period