Sagrada Família Unveils Sculpture Made by 180 Catalan Inmates
The Sagrada Família installed a tower-shaped sculpture built from words chosen by 180 prison inmates. See how it was made and what the justice chief said.
The Sagrada Família unveiled a collective sculpture on Thursday, Nov. 12, made from words chosen by 180 inmates of Catalan prisons. The tower-shaped piece stands in the apse chapel of Antoni Gaudí’s basilica in Barcelona, according to elDiario.es and Metrópoli Abierta.
The project was driven by the Sagrada Família together with the Fundació Obra Mercedària (a Mercedarian foundation) and the Departament de Justícia (the justice department of the Generalitat, the Catalan government). Justice minister Ramon Espadaler attended the presentation, along with representatives of the basilica and the foundation.
How the inmates built the piece
Metrópoli Abierta reports that the work ran between February and March, during the Any Antoni Gaudí (the Gaudí Year). Inmates from every Catalan prison visited the basilica. After the tour, they joined creative workshops where each participant had to pick words that summed up the emotions and thoughts the visit stirred in them.
Those words became the central element of the sculpture. elDiario.es says the workshops produced a list of terms and concepts describing the participants’ feelings, and that the inmates carved them into the column. “Perdón” (forgiveness), “resiliencia” (resilience) and “evolución” (evolution) are among the words they chose.
A hollow tower with a light inside
The sculpture is hollow. A light placed inside it throws the shadows of the carved words onto the walls of the chapel and onto the people looking at it, according to elDiario.es.
The installation also has an audiovisual component with testimonies from the participants, Metrópoli Abierta reports. It lets visitors hear about their personal experiences and about how the piece was made.
What the conseller said
Espadaler, the conseller (Catalan cabinet minister) for Justice and Democratic Quality, told the audience that the project reminds people of a reality that, in his words, too often stays at the margins, as elDiario.es reported. He also spoke of his commitment to the social reintegration of prisoners, working with foundations and organizations like those behind the sculpture.
Metrópoli Abierta quotes him on the role of art: “El arte es una herramienta poderosa para expresar emociones”, meaning art is a powerful tool for expressing emotions. He added that it helps people recover hope and build future plans.
Why it matters for Barcelona
The sculpture puts the voices of people held in Catalan prisons inside one of the most visited buildings in the city. Artistic workshops in Catalan prisons mark their 40th anniversary this year, and Espadaler used the occasion to stress their value.
He also recalled a message from Pope Leo XIV during his visit to the Brians 1 prison, where the pope said people should not be defined forever by the mistakes they have made. Espadaler praised the cooperation among the Sagrada Família, the Mercedarian foundations and the organizations working in the prison sector.
The sculpture sits in the apse chapel of a basilica that receives visitors every day. Anyone planning a trip can check Sagrada Família tickets, prices, towers, hours and entry rules before going.
Sources: elDiario.es, Metrópoli Abierta
