Words that hurt, words that haunt, words that become an unbearable burden . It is around this theme that "Questa insopportabile leggerezza" (This Insopportable Lightness), a photography exhibition by Elisa Siciliano, a student in the three-year Fashion Design program at IED Cagliari, will open on Tuesday, November 25th at the Teatro Massimo in Cagliari.
The exhibition, curated by Giacomo Pisano, will be presented on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
The project stems from the author's personal experience of verbal abuse and online harassment, which she chose to transform into a form of public denunciation. Ten shots, ten everyday settings, ten real-life phrases: an emotional impact that leaves little room for filters.
"I'm not asking for mercy," Siciliano explained, "these images are my response. A revenge."
The curator, Giacomo Pisano, emphasized the artist's ability to transform her suffering into a creative act: "Elisa has countered violence with the power of creation, using bitter irony to break down the shame that often immobilizes those who live through similar experiences."
The exhibition is the result of a collaboration between IED Cagliari, Cedac, and Teatro Massimo, committed to promoting initiatives that engage young people in significant cultural and social experiences . Antonio Lupinu, director of IED Cagliari, highlighted the educational value of the initiative: "Projects like this are instruments of collective responsibility. We are privileged to support them through the voices of the new generations."
Valeria Ciabattoni, director of the Teatro Massimo in Cagliari, agrees: "Our theater aims to be an open space, where artists and audiences can engage in free dialogue. Synergies with partners like the IED strengthen this goal."
"This Insufferable Lightness" thus remains an invitation to face the violence that comes from words, often invisible, often underestimated. An exhibition that asks the public to pause, read, listen—and recognize the impact language can have on a person's life.
