#TROVALAMETAFORA: the NEPLab of IUSS University School for Advanced Studies at Lucca Comics & Games 2025 exploring the creative power of metaphors
The Laboratory of Neurolinguistics and Experimental Pragmatics (NEPLab) of the IUSS School of Pavia will participate in Lucca Comics & Games 2025 (https://lucca2025.luccacomicsandgames.com/en/home
On Friday, October 31, and Saturday, November 1, offering a series of playful and interactive activities for all ages, focused on exploring metaphors.
Through these activities, participants will have the opportunity to discover the creative potential of metaphors, particularly in the worlds of films, TV series, animated cartoons, anime, and comics loved by audiences of all ages.
Two interactive activities are planned:
🎯 “Gotta catch ’em all… all the metaphors” – A timed challenge inviting participants to spot as many metaphors as possible around the Lucca Comics festival. Those who submit the most metaphors will have the chance to win IUSS School gadgets.
🧩 “Guess the Source” – A two-level quiz (for children and adults) that invites participants to identify the source of well-known or lesser-known metaphors drawn from films, TV series, cartoons, anime, and comics. This activity trains memory and demonstrates that metaphors are present in what we read and watch, often where we least expect them.
These activities are part of the #TROVALAMETAFORA research and outreach campaign, promoted by the NEPLab of IUSS Pavia within the framework of the European PROMENADE project (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101045733
The campaign aims to train society’s linguistic awareness to recognize metaphors encountered every day and understand how they influence the way we think, communicate, and interpret the world.
All contributions will be collected in an open-access archive, a large “metaphor album” available to anyone interested in exploring how figurative language shapes our reality.
For more information about the campaign and to participate:
👉 https://www.neplab.it/trovalametafora/
Activities curated by: Chiara Battaglini, Maddalena Bressler, Adele Loia, Valentina Bambini
_________________
📍 Location: Lucca Comics & Games 2025
🗓 Friday, October 31, 2025
🕒 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
🎯 Gotta catch ’em all… all the metaphors
A timed challenge to discover and report hidden metaphors across the festival’s stands and events.
🗓 Saturday, November 1, 2025
🕒 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
🧩 Guess the Source
An interactive quiz with separate tracks for children and adults to identify the sources of metaphors from films, TV series, anime, cartoons, and comics.