THE VolcanoKRAFFT TEAM
A team driven by a passion for volcanoes
At the Maurice and Katia Krafft Foundation, we do much more than preserve a heritage: we bring it to life! Inspired by the energy and daring of these two fire explorers, we have assembled a team of enthusiasts united by a common mission: to share the beauty and power of volcanoes with the whole world.
We are archivists, educators, and creatives, committed to imparting knowledge and wonder. We digitize and restore the incredible images captured by the Kraffts, supporting research and developing educational projects to ignite the curiosity of future generations.
Julien Dumont
General Manager
Julien Dumont discovered his passion for volcanoes through Maurice Krafft’s book Dans l’antre du diable, given to him by his mother after a landmark conference. Fascinated by the meeting of art and science, he explored various fields before turning to cinema and founding Titan Films. In 2020, he and his sister wrote a screenplay about Maurice and Katia Krafft, then met André Demaison in 2021, who joined him in this adventure. Co-producer of Werner Herzog’s documentary Au cœur des volcans, he witnessed his first eruption in Iceland in 2022, cementing his bond with volcanoes.
André Demaison
Volcanologist
At the age of 18, André Demaison discovered his passion for volcanoes while observing a lava flow on Mount Etna, a revelation that would guide his life. Fascinated by science and art, he became a museographer specializing in Earth Sciences. In 1972, he met Maurice and Katia Krafft, the charismatic volcanologist couple, and from 1976 accompanied them to some extreme terrains, from the African Rift to Hawaii. Together, they conceived projects such as the Maison du Volcan and Vulcania, which André saw through to fruition after the Kraffts’ tragic deaths. Now their biographer, he perpetuates their memory and is passing that torch to Julien Dumont.
Fabio Buttino
Public relations officer
Fabio joined the Krafft fund team in September 2024, following his first volcanic expedition to Mount Etna and Mount Stromboli.
A friend of Julien Dumont’s for over 15 years, he fell into the crater of volcanic passion and now supports the fund by handling public relations.
Franco Emmi
Volcanologue Advisory Board
He loves mountains, volcanoes, and his own volcano—since 1975, he has passionately pursued a career as a mountain guide on Mount Etna, Europe’s highest volcano, culminating at 3369 meters above sea level.
He accompanied Maurice and Katia Krafft and Haroun Tazieff (1914–1998) on numerous missions to this Sicilian volcano during eruptive crises.
Join us in this scientific and human adventure, where a passion for knowledge and a fascination for volcanoes continue to enlighten the world.