C-215 paints Robert Badinter mural at Comella prison and opens exhibition in Andorra

Urban artist Christian Guémy, known as C-215, spent several days in Andorra this week carrying out cultural projects, including painting a portrait of Robert Badinter on a wall at the Comella prison in Andorra la Vella.

Badinter, the former French justice minister who died in 2024, is widely respected for his advocacy of prisoner reintegration and for campaigning to abolish the death penalty. Prisoners at Comella regard the portrait as a particularly symbolic gesture.

Visiting prisons is a frequent part of Guémy’s practice; the Comella intervention was the 29th penitentiary he has worked in and his first in the Principality, organised with support from the French embassy.

During his stay he also opened a new exhibition, Figures of Emancipation, at Espai Caldes. The show comprises 50 philosophical portraits executed with Guémy’s stencil technique and is linked to his book Figures de la laïcité. The exhibition is on display until 14 March 2026 as part of the Oh Là Là cultural programme.

On 2 December he presented Figures de la laïcité at the Moby Dick bookstore in Andorra la Vella and met with visual arts students from the Lycée to share his working methods and discuss artistic practice. Much of Guémy’s work explores themes of individual emancipation and laïcité.