Prison as a Setting for Art Production: A Study on Prison and its Artifacts

Abstract

Prisons can be unexpected settings for art and cultural production, but they also offer unique opportunities for creativity and self-expression. Prisons are institutions designed to confine individuals convicted of crimes. They are considered places of pessimism and terrorism. Prisons can also be seen as places that hold cultural and historical heritage. They share different kinds of disciplines, cultures, values, and discourses. They form various cultures and subcultures. The prison holds its own set of religion, practices, community, educational practices, etc. The paper focuses on bringing the view that the prisons can also be a landscape or community that produces great art, values, practices, and cultures like other landscapes. Cultural and art production in prisons can offer valuable benefits for incarcerated individuals and society as a whole. It promotes humanization, rehabilitation, and a deeper understanding of the complexities of the justice system. Creative expressions in prisons can aid in self-discovery, communication skills, and also in addressing trauma. This paper investigates the diverse forms of artistic expression that emerge within correctional facilities, including painting, music, writing, and performance. It also challenges the conventional understanding of prisons as sole spaces of punishment by focusing on the vibrant cultural production within these institutions.