Artwork Celebrates Dignity and Second Chances
The Sagrada Família basilica unveiled a collective sculpture on Thursday 12th November 2026, created with the participation of 180 people serving sentences in Catalan prisons. The artwork, installed in a chapel within the apse of the temple, is composed of words chosen by the participants following visits to the basilica and reflective creative workshops. Shaped like a tower, the sculpture embodies themes of shared dignity, social inclusion, and the possibility of second chances. It is accompanied by an audiovisual presentation featuring personal testimonies from the inmates, detailing their emotional responses to the basilica and their experiences during the creative process.
Culture as a Tool for Reintegration
The project was led by the Sagrada Família in collaboration with the Fundació Obra Mercedària and the Department of Justice and Democratic Quality of the Generalitat de Catalunya. At the inauguration, Justice Minister Ramon Espadaler highlighted the transformative power of art in rehabilitation.
People are not defined by the mistake they may have made, and that mistake does not mark their biographies forever. All people, without exception, share the same dignity.
Espadaler linked the initiative to Pope Leo XIV’s recent message during his visit to Brians 1 prison, reinforcing the idea that human worth transcends past actions. He also noted that 2026 marks the 40th anniversary of artistic workshops in Catalan prisons, which began just two years after the Catalan government assumed responsibility for penitentiary affairs.
Artistic workshops allow for a fuller life; they are a tool for liberation despite the walls.
These workshops, facilitated by around 50 professionals across the prison system, engage approximately 3,000 inmates annually and are considered a cornerstone of Catalonia’s reintegration model.
Gaudí Year Cultural Programme
The sculpture is part of a broader cultural programme marking the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death in 2026, designated as Gaudí Year by the Council for the Promotion and Dissemination of the Work of Gaudí. The Sagrada Família, as a member of this advisory body, has integrated inclusive community projects into its commemorative events. The official programme of events began on 14th October 2025 and includes initiatives that involve local communities and marginalised groups, aiming to reflect Gaudí’s legacy through innovation, social engagement, and artistic expression.
Sources: Generalitat de Catalunya, sagradafamilia.org, thespainreporter.com, diaricatalunya.cat.
