Paolo Sorrentino and Antonio Marras at IED Milan for a Special Lecture
Date
22 May 2026
Time
19:00 PM - 21:00 PM
Fruition
In-person event
The Beauty of the Unexpected – a lecture celebrating the encounter between Cinema and Fashion
A unique event where cinema and fashion intertwine in an unprecedented dialogue: Antonio Marras and Paolo Sorrentino will come together for the first time on the occasion of the Special Lecture curated by OffiCine and IED Cinema, scheduled for May 22 at the Teatro IED space in Milan.
The talk, moderated by Cristina Marchetti, Head of IED Cinema, and Giovanni Ottonello, IED Art Director, revolves around the theme “The Beauty of the Unexpected”, a concept that deeply runs through the poetics of both protagonists, while taking shape through different creative languages.
In Paolo Sorrentino’s cinema, the unexpected emerges first and foremost through his characters: figures who escape expectations and constantly exist in a state of dissonance with reality. A striking example is Geremia de’ Geremei from The Family Friend, an unpleasant and petty man whose life is disrupted by an unexpected love — not redemptive, but destructive. His protagonists are often in motion, misaligned, suspended within an unresolved search. Alongside this, there is also the unexpected within the imagery itself: visual elements that appear seemingly “out of place” — such as the kangaroo in The Young Pope or the giraffe in Parthenope — contributing to the creation of a layered and surprising imaginary world.
For Antonio Marras, artist as much as fashion designer, the beauty of the unexpected instead arises from contamination: a continuous journey across eras, geographies, and languages. Poetry, cinema, visual arts, theatre, folklore, and costume coexist within his creative practice, generating aesthetic and cultural short circuits. Nothing is accidental: the unexpected is the result of a cross-disciplinary vision, of an ongoing dialogue between distant worlds that meet and transform one another.
The event is part of “Monsters”, a project promoted by Istituto Europeo di Design on May 21 and 22, 2026, dedicated to the representation and transformation of one’s “inner monsters.” Curated by art historian and lecturer Loredana Parmesani, the exhibition presents a selection of works by students created through an open call inviting participants to imagine contemporary creatures as expressions of individual and collective fears. The exhibition includes paintings, editorial projects, a fashion garment, and audiovisual installations, in a journey that moves across different artistic languages.
Admission is free, with mandatory registration subject to availability.
Where to find us
Register here
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