With twelve

Visual artist and  first prize of an international art contest

 

From fourteen onwards

First own exhibition, more art awards, later the famous UNESCO photo award

 

From 1987

"RockART" the artistical critical view on the society and their treatment of the environment

Surrealistic Art-Creation-Period

 

1989

Art work "Barefoot-Crossing of the Alps" - performance art for the protection and preservation of the Alps. Matto crossed barefoot via rock and snow the Alps. After 270 kilometers and a after 20 days he reached the final destination in Italy. Matto utilized no civil structures and carried all his food and his sleeping-bag on his own. As artist he compared the destruction of his feet with the erosion in the Alps.

 

1990

Launched his Publishing House and published various art-prints and calenders of rock-heroes of the sixties

 

1991

Opening of Europe‘s  first Music-Art-Gallery

 

From 1992 on

"Animal Revolt" - new period of artworks and performance art

 

Since 1995

More than 66 excursions to Africa, numerous reportages for famous magazines worldwide (STERN, Mui Interessante, Terra Sauvage, GEO...)

Matto stays since then for at least 6 month per year in the African bush.

 

For 25 weeks

Accepted member in a wild cheetah family in the Serengeti. He lives on his hands and knees as "human cheetah" among the big cats. He shares their social behavior and the whole daily routine...  is unique projects makes Matto Barfuss well-known worldwide...

 

Since 1998

Publishes the bestseller picture-book "I was a Cheetah", published in 8 different languages so far...

Founder and President of the non-profit organization "Live for Cheetahs"

Film-production in the Serengeti for the  film "The Cheetahman"

 

1999

Books "Cheetahland", "Secret Africa" and more expeditions

 

Since 2000

Official Representative of his Country

Opening of his own Art-House of the Big Cats in Rheinau/Germany

 

2001

Initiator of the international art and culture project "Painting for Cheetahs" under the patron ship of the Namibian President and the German Minister-president

Creation of the international Art-Icon "G" as a symbol for global responsibility

 

August 2001

First Relocation of Cheetahs in Namibia

 

2002

Production and Broadcasting of a great TV-Special by ZDF and art

"Ambassador of the Mountains" in the international year of the mountain-ranges of the UN

 

November 2002

Initiator and creator of a joint-venture project according to the slogan "Culture meets Economy"

Founder of the international Programme "Education for Conservation" - Matto created and published a wildlife-schoolbook for children in Africa. More than 50.000 books were printed and freely distributed. yet..

Start of the on-going documentation of all the existing Mountain-Gorilla families in Uganda, Rwanda and the DR Congo...

 

2003

Autobiography "on Quest for the Paradise" , published in Germany, China, Korea and Czech Rep,

First creation of a so called "Cheetah wine" according to the slogan "Support and Enjoy". Since then Matto created regularly his own wine to fund his Programme "Education for Conservation".

 

2004

First edition of his own annual Wildlife- and Art-magazine Magazin "G"

 

2005

First Expedition in the DR Congo and since then numerous  film TV-reports about the gorillas

The picture-Book "Barfuss among Mountain-Gorillas" is published in Germany, then Czech Rep.

 

2006

Long expeditions in the DR Congo and conclusion of the  film-production for the  film "Gorilla-Fever", more books

Launch of the long-term  film-documentary "... with Lions through Africa"

 

2007-2008

Founding of the "Gorilla-Aid-Fund" and active support of the rangers in the gorilla-areas in DR Congo

 

2009

Premiere of the documentation-project "... with Lions through Africa" as Live-Multivisionshow Premiere of the  film "The Future of the Gorillas" in Swiss TV.

 

2010

Picture-book " ... with Lions through Africa", Start of the  film-production "Spotted Hunters" and "The forgotten Lions of the Bushmanland"

 

2011

The Project "...with Lions through Africa became international

 

2012

Appointment by the German Minister for Environment to the UN-Decade-Ambassador for biological Diversity Book and Film "The Cheetahs of the Kalahari"

 

2013

Matto creates the Art-House "Planet Go" and lays the foundation for the implementation in 2014

Matto Barfuss starts his film-production in 5K for two long-term Cinema-Productions in Africa. The Film "The Wild Dogs of the Kalahari" was  finalized after a six year production period

 

November 2013

Matto launches the Planet-Go Cinema-Film production and Internet-TV

 

2014

Matto continues the long-term study about cheetahs and lions in the Kalahari

Over months he films for his great cinema-production "Cats of Mara" in Kenya

Opening of an office in Maun/Botswana and distribution of 20.000 wildlife-schoolbooks in the Kalahari

 

2015

Continuing the production of the cinema movie about Maleika with 3 more productions on location in Africa Filming in the Kalahari in 5K for a new cinema movie

Launch of the Go wild Botswana Trust in Botswana

 

2016

Finalizing the cinema film in the Masai Mara and 3 more productions in the Kalahari

 

2017

First fashion-collection 'Maleika' made from sequences of the cinema movie 'Maleika' in cooperation with MARC CAIN in 40 countries

4th October - The great world-premiere of the cinema movie 'Maleika' in the Zoopalast in Berlin

 

2018

Launch of the movie 'Maleika - the Dream of a small Boy"

Launch of a new multi-vision "Wild and Far"