Residents of Audincourt, members of the Engrenages artistiques association, have initiated a commission focusing on the heritage of the Autos district, with particular emphasis on the Church of the Sacred Heart and the Castor houses.

Located in a working-class area shaped by the Peugeot industrial era, the Autos district carries within it the story of a century of social, urban, and cultural change. It is a place of welcome, collective endeavour and civic initiative, defined by self-building, social diversity, and bold cultural experiments. The Church of the Sacred Heart, built by residents with the support of leading architects and artists, together with the Castor houses – homes built by their own inhabitants – stand as lasting symbols of this spirit.

The commission seeks to rekindle this heritage in connection with the values of solidarity, knowedge-sharing and the common good. It aims to “keep memory alive”, to shed light on a largely unknown heritage and to open the way for a renewed collective narrative. The commissioning group envisions an immaterial work, rooted in the history of the district yet open to other forms and interpretations, created in dialogue with residents, schools and younger generations.