Eugenio Tibaldi's 'BENU' Installation at Rebibbia Prison

Artist Eugenio Tibaldi (born 1977, Alba) has created 'BENU', a permanent site-specific installation at the Rebibbia women's prison in Rome, unveiled December 11, 2025, ahead of the Jubilee of Prisoners on December 14. The work consists of two luminous phoenix sculptures mounted on eight-meter poles, visible from cells, staff offices, and outside the prison. The project, curated by Marcello Smarrelli, is part of an ongoing collaboration between Fondazione Severino and Fondazione Pastificio Cerere (since 2022), with support from Intesa Sanpaolo and patronage from the Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See and the Ministry of Justice. Tibaldi began workshops in September 2024, engaging over 100 inmates who created 66 drawings expressing their desires and flaws. The phoenixes are powered by seven exercise bikes connected to generators, requiring physical effort from inmates to illuminate the sculptures. The work symbolizes hope, transformation, and collective self-portraiture, aiming to foster dialogue between inside and outside. Tibaldi described the process as transformative, stating he entered 'too light' and had to undergo his own educational journey. The installation is part of a broader program that also includes Hyperlocal's editorial initiative and Guido Gazzilli's photographic exhibition (December 12-14) with Angelo Bonello's audiovisual work.