Yan Pei-Ming. Oltre il muro - Regina Coeli, Roma

The artist shares: "My work is always oriented towards human beings; they are the center of everything, the fundamental element of my art. If I were asked to create an abstract painting, I don't think I could: I am interested in people. I am a painter of our time, and portraying the isolated society of a prison seems to me one of the most symbolic acts of unveiling, and a great real possibility of bringing them hope."

Regina Coeli is sadly notorious for its severe issues of overcrowding and poor living conditions: here, Hope, the theme of the 2025 Jubilee, is a difficult sentiment to conceive. Thousands of people pass by its facade in the historic center every day, never wondering what lies beyond that wall.

Prisons are an issue rarely discussed in public debate, with little willingness to listen. Through his work, Yan Pei-Ming makes the invisible visible behind Regina Coeli's walls. Based on photographic sessions carried out with photographer Daniele Molajoli, Yan Pei-Ming has portrayed inmates, prison guards, volunteers, a doctor, and the chaplain—individuals who remain unseen but exist, each with their own story, captured with the expressive intensity and character of the artist's rapid brushstroke.

Portraiture, in the history of art, has traditionally conferred dignity on its subjects. Yan Pei-Ming's painting restores dignity and social recognition to the imprisoned and to those who work within the prison, often in unimaginably difficult conditions.
Even Pope Francis, in Spes non confundit, the Bull of Indiction of the 2025 Jubilee, calls for more dignified conditions for prisoners, as only then can they "look to the future with hope and renewed commitment to life."

The reflection on prisons aligns with Pope Francis' apostolate, which inspired the Holy See Pavilion at the Giudecca Prison presented by the Dicastery at the 60th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia in 2024, as well as Marinella Senatore's intervention at Rebibbia Prison, also curated by Cristiana Perrella, for the Pope's visit to open the second Holy Door. On that occasion, the artist created Io Contengo Moltitudini, a luminous installation inspired by Southern Italian festive lights, featuring phrases written by Rebibbia inmates during a series of workshops. Standing six meters tall, this artwork became a symbol of hope and active participation, fostering dialogue between inmates and the broader community and remaining visible exclusively to the prison population until February 18, 2025.

Conciliazione 5 is part of the Jubilee of Artists and the World of Culture, offering the public not only a visual experience but also a deep reflection on Hope and the value of human dignity.

Cristiana Perrella's 2025 program will also commission three additional contemporary art projects by international artists, who will successively address the theme of Hope, engaging with other spaces and nearby institutions. The next intervention, following Yan Pei-Ming's, is entrusted to Adrian Paci, who will work in dialogue with the Arcispedale of Santo Spirito in Saxia.