At a press conference yesterday (video), Italian and Portuguese government officials joined prelates in discussing “Doors of Hope,” an art project at prisons.
The project is inspired by the jubilee holy door at Rebibbia New Complex Prison in Rome.
“The project involves the creation of artistic doors inside eight Italian and two Portuguese prisons, created in collaboration between internationally renowned artists and prison communities,” Stefano Boeri Architects stated on its website. “The works are constructed using materials such as wood, stone and metal, in a process that symbolizes hope, transformation and dialogue.”
Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, president of the Pontifical Foundation Gravissimum Educationis and prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, said that “prison is a place where hope can be restored,” adding that the project “has an artistic configuration, but it is an educational project.”