Overview

• Oliviero Toscani, famous for his groundbreaking and controversial campaigns for Benetton, died at the age of 82 from the rare disease amyloidosis.
• Toscani redefined advertising by addressing topics like AIDS, racism, capital punishment, and anorexia, often sparking global conversations on these issues.
• His campaigns included iconic images such as a nun kissing a priest, a dying AIDS patient, and Death Row inmates, blending art with social commentary.
• Toscani's collaboration with Benetton, which lasted nearly two decades, ended in 2000 following backlash to a campaign on capital punishment and later controversies, including remarks about the Genoa bridge collapse in 2020.
• Beyond his work with Benetton, Toscani was a passionate advocate for humanism, diversity, and challenging societal norms, leaving a lasting legacy in the photography and advertising worlds.