LOOKING FOR MARNI

A brand is defined by its actions, not only by the aesthetic it creates. The Marni language is slightly off-kilter. It is fueled by a constant dialogue with the art world and favors unpredictable, out-of-the-schemes moves.

 

For the launch of the optic collection developed with Marchon, Marni creates an atmospheric tale of gestural and architectural lightness which gives emotional tangibility to the creative atmosphere which characterize the Marni world. Entitled LOOKING FOR MARNI, this total theater piece is based on a natural flow of emotions and visions that defines a sense of balance: a dynamic depiction of equilibrium, drawing the spectators into an all-surrounding Marni state of mind. The roundness, as well as the angularity, of the costumes, the slowness and fluidity of the gestures suggest a link with the shapes of the glasses and in general to the polymorphous Marni language. Ever so lightly. Ever so abstractly.

LOOKING FOR MARNI takes place inside the Padiglione Visconti: a singular industrial space that is currently being used as an atelier for rehearsal by the La Scala Theater. The unique configuration of the space, cut in two by a massive mezzanine, becomes a co-protagonist of the piece: it dictates the way the different actions happen and develop and the way the different props are arranged. Spaces, for Marni, are always integral to the esthetic experience. Padiglione Visconti links directly to a glorious theatre tradition.

 

The theater piece LOOKING FOR MARNI has been created by Susanna Beltrami and her dance company, and is an ongoing action that will last for one hour and a half. Clad in constructivist costumes, freely inspired by the work of Bauhaus alumnus Oskar Schlemmer and subtly nodding to iconic Marni tropes - colors, juxtapositions of textures, rhythmic patterns - dancers interpret a group of dreamy characters. They occupy the space while performing repetitive actions. Some of them are suspended from the ceiling; others interact both with the slightly surreal props - a gigantic table and chair set, a raised stage, a geometric room - and with the spectators. In the mingling of theatrical action and real life experience, LOOKING FOR MARNI gains life.

The lack of separation between spectators and performers ignites a flowing of poetic feelings that create a sense of suspension. Space is explored in every dimension while all the senses are stimulated: lights, sounds, movements interact and expand. Total theater becomes a way to depict emotionally the inspirations and contaminations, which are intrinsic to the creative process.