Co/respondències: an exhibition created by youths from Juvenile Justice Centers

Co/rrespondències is a creative project that was carried out in the educative Juvenile Justice Centers. Starting from the artistic tool of collage, this project is based on three main premises: first, the creative process as an experiment and driving force for transformation; second, Jean Dubuffet’s idea of individual potential in the “outsider art” framework; and third, the relationship between internment, marginalisation, and society. 

The initiative is a collaboration with the Autonomous Solidarity Foundation, the Art, Culture and Leisure Programme of the Generalitat of Catalonia’s Juvenile Justice Department; Alter Krapp, and the support of the Ministry of Social Rights. “Alter Krapp” is the pseudonym of Andrea Noferini. He is an artist, an adjunct professor at CEI International Affairs of Barcelona and a collaborator with the Institute of European Studies (IEE) of the UAB. 

From 2019 to 2020, a group of workshops were developed for the youths that comply a Juvenile Justice educational measure, more specifically, at the Alzina and Can Llupià centers. The creativity of these youths, who were totally unconnected to the artistic world, was the main feature to experiment on. By sharing their ideas and stories, the aim was to speak out in order to end their isolation and promote the debate on creativity, internment, and society. In these workshops, in which UAB volunteer students have collaborated, the youths created a series of collages made from previous materials such as magazine clippings, diaries, photographs; and used plastic materials like coloured pencils, wax crayons, and markers. After this, the collages were finished by the artist in his studio. 

The exhibition has opened today in the UAB Theater Hall. In this inauguration, the project was presented by the main people and agents that have participated in it. During the presentation, Jordi Prat, director of the FAS, underlined the importance of a relationship between the volunteers and the youths from the Juvenile Justice centers. In addition, Andrea Noferini, artist and professor at the CEI, explained that he didn’t teach them how to paint, he just gave them the inputs to create new works. Noferini remarked that the topics of the works were related to travels, fears, jobs, stereotypes, and life models. Furthermore, a video of volunteers was presented. The volunteers were from the Justice program who had participated in those workshops. They were Clara Caballero and Aïda Calmaestra and explained that the experience was so rewarding, both personally and professionally. 

Then, Sausagna Roura, Director General of Probation and Juvenile Justice, remarked on the significance of the project as an educative, social, and transformative activity in the centers. The presentation was closed by Esther Zapater, UAB’s secretary general, who highlighted the quality of the projects and remained that, as a governing team, the priority is always social action. 

Finally, after viewing the videos made by Moisés Casanova, who had interpreted the works, Noferini did a guide explaining to all the assistants about the works, the authors, the stories, and the creative process. The exhibition will remain in UAB Theater Hall and can be visited until 14 February from Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm.