The New patrons of the Pas-de-Calais Mining Basin

  • New PatronsMicheline Dec, Marie-Cécile Dupage, Maurice Dupont, Madison Evrard, Michel Petit, Richard Szymczak.
  • Structure médiatriceartconnexion
  • MediatorAmanda Crabtree, Sébastien Deltombe
  • Contexte·sCommemoration/Memory, Health/Care, Heritage, Social cohesion
  • Dates2025-Ongoing
  • SiteLouvre-Lens Park, Lens, Pas-de-Calais
  • Address62300 Liévin
  • RegionHauts-de-France
  • PartnersLa Société des Nouveaux commanditaires, the Louvre-Lens, the Hauts-de-France Region, the Lens-Liévin Urban Community, 9-9bis, the Association of French Mining Communities, the Lewarde Mining History Center, and the Mining Basin Mission.

Under the leadership of Maurice Dupont, a former miner from Lens-Liévin, and a collective of former miners and their descendants, this commission was initiated to pay tribute to the people of the mines with a work of art in the Louvre-Lens park.

The aim is to pay tribute to all those who lost their lives, were injured, had accidents, or became disabled in connection with their profession in the mines. The future work aims to bear witness to the living link between the region, its inhabitants, and a memory that continues to guide our gaze toward the future.

The group of New patrons at Louvre-Lens, press conference on the occasion of Sainte Barbe, December 4, 2025. © Louvre-Lens/Frédéric Iovino
Working session on the brief, July 2025.
Working session and tour of the Louvre-Lens park with the commissioners, October 2025.