From prison to museum: the Panopticon of Ibagué opened its doors as a cultural complex

After 20 years of being completely abandoned, the municipal administration restored the Panopticon of Ibagué and officially inaugurated it as an artistic and cultural complex in the presence of President Iván Duque, on Thursday, March 31.

The site, which functioned as a penitentiary until 2003, was renovated in order to become the center of art and pedagogy in Tolima and the country. The now called Panoptych Museum of Ibagué has 72 of its cells in which exhibitions will be presented and, in addition, it has an auditorium where artists can stage their cultural projects.

According to the Secretary of Culture of Ibagué, Greis Cifuentes, the first floor of the Panopticon is a space designed to tell the cultural, social, political and economic basis of Tolima, through the representation of its 47 municipalities.

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The official also announced that the old cells of the prison were also renovated to now function as rehearsal rooms that are equipped with instruments, sound equipment and technology.

“We restored the facilities, transformed the gray spaces and provided the plants with lighting, floors and lots of color,” said Cifuentes in a dialogue with Semana magazine.

Likewise, the Mayor's Office of Ibagué informed the Bogotá media that, on the second floor of the Panopticon, visitors will find 27 rooms, which were arranged as spaces for singing practices, and rehearsals of string, brass, wind and percussion instruments.

The municipal administration also announced through the official website of the Panopticon Museum that the newly renovated site also has an auditorium for 100 people; a dance hall, which is equipped with stretching areas, bars and mirrors; a space for the commercialization of typical handicrafts of the region, as well as a restaurant where the flavors of the department of Tolima will be exalted.

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Finally, as reported by the Mayor's Office of Ibagué, one of the buildings adjacent to the Panopticon will become the Municipal Historical Archive, where the historical documents of the city will be relocated and preserved.

For her part, the Secretary of Culture of Ibagué concluded her interview with the same media by stating: “After almost two decades, the opening of the Panopticon is a reality. Ibagué is giving a lot to talk about and now this music center will be an obligatory stop when visiting the city.”

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