"Humanity": a collective installation recalling Covid victims on display at Palazzo d'Accursio and B

"Humanity": a collective artwork to remember Covid victims

A new public art installation has been unveiled in the courtyard of Palazzo d'Accursio and in several hospitals around Bologna to keep alive the memory of those who died during the pandemic. The piece, titled "Humanity", is the product of a collective effort involving citizens, relatives of the deceased, volunteer groups and healthcare workers.

Conceived by the artist known as Tarp (Alberto Pratelli) together with Atelier del Fienile, the work originated from a 120-metre banner made by sewing hospital sheets together. Handwritten on the fabric are the names and birth years of 4,488 citizens from Bologna, set against stylized faces intended to restore the personal identity behind each statistic.

Each installation has been adapted by the artist: alongside the banner, mural paintings depict children playing and interacting with the faces memorialised on the cloth, symbolising a "new humanity" strengthened by the shared experience of the pandemic.

Where to see the installation

The works are on display at the following locations in Bologna and its province:

• Entrance hall of Ospedale Maggiore (Bologna)
• Pavilion 5, Policlinico Sant'Orsola (Bologna)
• Codivilla-Putti Research Centre, Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute (Bologna)
• Tinozzi Pavilion, Bellaria Hospital (Bologna)
• Hospitals in Vergato, Bazzano, Bentivoglio, Budrio, Loiano, San Giovanni in Persiceto and Porretta Terme (provincial network)

Background and organisers

The project was promoted by a network of volunteer organisations and healthcare institutions, coordinated by the Italian Red Cross – Bologna Committee, with support from local hospital trusts and civic partners. The public presentation brought together municipal representatives, health directors and association members.

Organisers emphasise that the installation aims to restore dignity to individual names and to counter collective forgetting: an act of commemoration that combines documentary records with the expressive power of participatory art.

Visitor information: installations are open during hospital visiting hours and at municipal spaces; visitors are advised to check opening times with the respective facilities before attending.