The Dicastery for Culture and Education and the Dicastery for Communication are organizing an event focusing on the role culture can play in correctional institutions. The meeting will take place on Thursday 10 April in the Vatican’s San Pio X Hall and bring together experts from the academic world, the arts, journalism, and culture.
Vatican News
“Culture is Life in Places of Detention” is the title of the event to be held on Thursday 19 April at 6 p.m. at the San Pio X Hall on Via dell’Ospedale 1, organized by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education and the Dicastery for Communication.
The meeting will be moderated by Italian journalist Riccardo Iacona with participation of experts from the academic world, the arts, journalism, and culture, who will discuss the value of culture as a tool for growth, empowerment, and dignity in prison contexts.
Multi-disciplinary representation
Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça and Paolo Ruffini, respectively the Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education and the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication will open the gathering. Other speakers include Stefano Anastasia from the University of Rome UnitelmaSapienza; artist Laurie Anderson; Roberta Barbi, journalist at Radio Vaticana – Vatican News; Italian author and producer Rosa Galantino; Teresa Paoli, journalist for Italy’s public broadcaster Rai 3, Presadiretta programme; Cristiana Perrella, curator of Conciliazione 5 and director of Macro; Pisana Posocco and Marta Marchetti from Rome’s La Sapienza University; Marcello Smarrelli, artistic director of the Pastificio Cerere Foundation; and artist Tommaso Spazzini Villa.
Presentation of Projects
During the event, several projects – past, present, and future, both national and international, — will be presented regarding work carried out within correctional institutions. Laurie Anderson, renowned artist and composer, will present the project “Dal Vivo,” created for the Prada Foundation in 1998 at San Vittore Prison, as well as the “Habeas Corpus” project from 2015, an installation portraying a young prisoner from Guantanamo Bay.
Cristiana Perrella, curator of the new contemporary art space at the Dicastery for Culture and Education, “Conciliazione 5,” will present the artistic project “Oltre il muro” by Chinese painter Yan Pei-Ming. The project consists of 27 portraits depicting people living and working in Regina Coeli prison, Rome’s main and most well-known correctional facility, located just a short distance from the Vatican.
The event will be available for live streaming in Italian on the Vatican News YouTube channel.