MusLi (Museums Literacy) - Fondazione Fitzcarraldo

76 MusLi - No qualifications needed: museums and new audiences
case 05
Cultural practices also include values and references that will seem unusual and will be unknown to
inmates: a world of sweetness, beauty, tranquillity that are inversely proportional to the harshness of
reality and incarceration.
... but the pride of seeing the Louvre “come to the prison “
Regardless of any negative images associated with museums, the Louvre has a special appeal to a
large number of inmates. Those who were interviewed associated it with the prestige and wealth of
France. This “temple of culture” has a particular aura because of its impressive collections and their
symbolic power. It represents, in the eyes of many detainees, a central place of humanity’s heritage, a
universal museum, whose value, even if it is at a great distance, will stand out among the array of related
activities offered by the Maison d’Arrêt de la Santé. The prison’s association with the Louvre can
therefore benefit the prison’s image. And thus, for one inmate, “The first time I went to jail we received a
little piece of paper with information on it and it surprised me. I thought it was for something other than
the Louvre, though it was written “Louvre”. The fact that the Louvre gets involved, it was unthinkable. I
was really surprised. There. I said, ‘Look, this is a heck of an effort by the prison…’ ”
As constraints increase, benefits increase too
For all the prisoners who participate in the Louvre’s program, totalling more than 600 people, it is, according
to prison officials, one of the most successful activities with inmates. Despite the constraints
of enrolment and participation, detainees who participate seem to benefit from much more than just
the original objectives behind the project. And this “more”, consists of benefits that were not directly
expected from the program. Living in the prison’s highly stressful environment – and with people who
have experienced the shock of incarceration often preceded by a life filled with failures and ruptures of
all kinds – these multiple benefits that emerge while participating in cultural activities are such that they
go beyond learning skills or knowledge.
First come the benefits of sociability, in the largest sense of the word: participation, as an end in itself,
makes time for detainees pass more quickly and with more pleasure; structure rebuilding, thanks to
the activities, lasting a finite time, circumscribed, with a beginning and an end; the possibility of finding
a symbolic space for self-presentation; the possibility of recreating “ordinary” social relationships; restoring
self-image and confidence; restoring the ability to discuss and question with others; and finally,
for some detainees, the benefit of sharing knowledge with other inmates, and having this knowledge
recognized by both the detainee’s entourage and family circle.
The intellectual benefits are accomplished through an inmate’s personal effort during the art workshops.
This positive participation also leads to a change in how an inmate views prison. Moreover,
these experiences can encourage a taste for “learning”, appreciated for its value, but also because it
becomes a source of enjoyment.