Porte della Speranza – The Gates of Hope

At the heart of the initiative is the creation of eight monumental works – eight gates – to be installed at the entrances of eight Italian correctional institutions, including San Vittore (Milan), Santa Maria Maggiore (Venice), the Lecce Prison, Ucciardone (Palermo), and Regina Coeli (Rome). These gates will be designed by a diverse selection of leading figures from contemporary Italian culture – artists, designers, architects, filmmakers, chefs, and scientists – each invited to translate the concept of hope into a visual narrative, developed through direct dialogue with the prison community.

Three symbolic materials – metal, stone, wood – unite the works, evoking the wood and metal of the Christian Cross, a metaphor for sacrifice and redemption.

Beyond its artistic and symbolic value, the project also carries a strong educational dimension. In collaboration with prestigious institutions such as the Brera Academy of Fine Arts and ALMA – The International School of Italian Cuisine, it seeks to activate pathways of artisanal, cultural, and professional learning for incarcerated individuals. A tangible opportunity for redemption and reintegration through knowledge, work, and dignity.

Le Porte della Speranza is also a collective story: every phase of the project – from prison visits to design, from creation to installation – is the subject of meticulous documentation, shared through an integrated communication campaign, a documentary film, a publication, and a dedicated digital platform.

A project that is at once an act, a process, and a journey. And one that symbolically opens a threshold to cross: the one between who we are and who we may yet become.