Jacob Elordi Stars in Bottega Veneta’s Dreamlike New Campaign
Bottega Veneta presents a new campaign by photographer Duane Michals, who explores the essence of dreams through surreal imagery. Michals describes surrealism as “an alternative profound reality” that challenges the ordinary world’s facts.
The series titled What Are Dreams features Jacob Elordi and reflects Michals' longstanding fascination with surrealism, dating back to the 1960s. The project premiered at Curzon Mayfair on November 3 in collaboration with Bottega Veneta and Club Ciné, prior to a screening of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, starring Elordi.
Artistic Inspirations and Style
Influenced by metaphysical painter Giorgio de Chirico and surrealist René Magritte, Michals often places familiar objects in unusual settings. This technique invites viewers to question the limits of reality and representation.
The campaign’s short film, shot at Michals’ New York home, is presented in black and white. It includes symbolic props from Michals’ past work like a convex mirror, a floating feather, and a crystal ball, creating a mysterious atmosphere.
“Surrealism suggests an alternative profound reality. It’s discomforting, and it contradicts the mere facts of our ordinary reality.” – Duane Michals
Jacob Elordi recites Michals' poem What Are Dreams, originally published in 2001 in the photo book Questions with Answers, which gives the project its name.
Summary
This campaign merges photography and surrealism to evoke dreamlike states, showcasing Jacob Elordi in a collaboration that blurs reality and imagination through symbolic imagery and poetic narration.
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