Mario Basner's World Heritage Collection at Tivoli Village

Award winning photographer Mario Basner was born in Hamburg, Germany and is renowned for the realism and depth in his photographs. Mario is a purist who intuitively captures the essence of what's before him. His works provide the viewer with a unique experience, invoking thought and stimulation the senses.

Fate led him to a music career first, after falling in love with the gift of touching an audience at just 6 years old. During his 25 year career as a professional drummer he lived in three countries and was particularly active in the musical theatre scene, garnering credits with large productions of Cats, A Chorus Line, La Cage Aux Folles, Mamma Mia, The Lion King and more. Additionally, Mario recorded with famed producers in Hollywood and appeared on several TV programs, i.e. Ally McBeal / Fox TV.

Mario always loved photography and used his camera primarily as a creative outlet and a source of balance. When he opened a custom B&W dark room business in Los Angeles in 2002, the desire to express his own thoughts and vision grew substantially and some of his renowned clients became mentors in developing and shaping his abilities and style. Mario went on to photograph commercial assignments, editorial work and operated a portrait studio for several years. His work has been published in numerous magazines in the US and Europe.

When Mario discovered a historic, abandoned site through an internet article, he had finally found his voice and his purpose, without realizing it at the time. Mario was immediately compelled to travel to Europe and photograph the site. His applications for a photography permit were denied multiple times but eventually the owner of the property took a liking to his determination and invited Mario to document the site. Upon his arrival it became apparent that he had found something very special. The sheer size and overwhelming impressions required a very different approach than he had expected which led to a second visit 7 months later.

After a 2 year testing & developing phase, the final images have been manifested in stunning printed pieces which convey an unparalleled depth, dimension and sense of realism. This powerful, compelling image series was the first installment of Mario's "World Heritage Collection" which has received 59 international awards of excellence to date. The series was followed by several new releases since the January 2017 opening of the Las Vegas gallery, earning a "Best Art Gallery" title from the Review Journal in its first year.

Mario is one of 22 photographic artists worldwide selected by the European Culture Centre to be featured in the context of the 2019 Venice Biennale in Italy.

Mario currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife.