The People’s Guidebook to Lens 2015: "Le guide émotionnel de Lens-Liévin"

Building on the success of our first Folkestone Triennial artwork in 2011, which became a No.1 bestseller and brilliantly highlighted the most cherished places in Folkestone through the eyes of locals, we were commissioned by the Louvre-Lens Tourism Office to recreate this concept for their region. Launched on February 28, 2015, the guidebook received an overwhelmingly positive reception from the local community.

This region of France, a UNESCO World Heritage site, hosts a branch of the renowned Louvre gallery, which attracted over 1,000,000 international visitors in 2013. Lens, a town with a rich mining history, is famously marked by its twin slag heaps that dominate the otherwise flat landscape, resembling two giant volcanoes. The guidebook captures the essence of Lens through the eyes of its residents, reflecting the places that embody their history, culture, and personal memories—everything that makes Lens feel like home.

Funded by the ICR INTERREG program, this project was a collaboration between Strange Cargo and the Mission Départementale Louvre-Lens Tourisme. We partnered with Compagnie Hendrick Van Der Zee (HVDZ), a local theater group, to gather stories from the community, which became the foundation of this unique artwork. The success of the project was further bolstered by the support of the Pays d'Art et d'Histoire group.

Additionally, Strange Cargo hosted a workshop with photographer Ben Hills to share his expertise with Dans la Boite, a local French photography team, who visually represented the selected stories in the guidebook.

For more information or to request a copy of the guidebook, please email Strange Cargo.