VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican on Monday unveiled its groundbreaking project for the upcoming Venice Biennale of Art: A multimedia installation located inside Venice’s women’s prison, created with the active participation of inmates and artists and open to the public under strict security conditions. But at the unveiling Monday, officials stressed the absolute novelty of this year’s Vatican pavilion, given the unprecedented permission from Italian judicial authorities to allow Vatican curators to mount the exhibit in the Giudecca prison and involve the inmates in the works. Half a dozen artists will work alongside them, reflecting Francis’ belief in the value of dialogue, solidarity and fraternity. Most notably, Maurizio Cattelan is producing what curators described as a “large outdoor artwork” on the façade of the prison chapel. The Vatican’s culture minister, Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça concurred that the decision to house the Holy See pavilion in the prison was “unexpected."

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Persons: Pope Francis, Francis ’, Maurizio Cattelan, Cattelan's, Nona Ora, Pope John Paul II, Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Francis, Corita Kent, Marco Perego, Zoe Saldana, Chiara Parisi, Claire Tabouret, Simone Fattal, Giovanni Russo, ’, ” Organizations: VATICAN CITY, Venice Biennale, Catholic, Italian Justice Ministry Locations: Venice, American