As part of a long career in communications within the Cartier company, Nathalie Locatelli participated in the jewelry house’s creation of the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain, for which she organized museum expositions from the foundation’s collection as well as international events such as the International Salon of Haute Joaillerie in Geneva.
In 2003, after having developed a new architectural concept for Cartier boutiques, she decided to shift the direction of her career toward a personal project inspired by one of her passions: photography. Galerie 127, for the contemporary photography of the Maghreb, opened its doors in Marrakech in 2006.
As the founder of the first gallery in Morocco entirely devoted to photography, Nathalie Locatelli has organized over 70 expositions of Moroccan and international photographers, participated in art fairs such as Paris Photo (Paris), Paris Photo (Los Angeles) 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair (London) and AKAA (Paris). She coproduced photography books and co-created Les Nuits Photographiques d’Essaouira. She also supports young artists in the development of their art and participates in the constitution of private collections.