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The sense of belonging to a physical region, such as a town, state, or country, plays a crucial role in fostering cohesion and cohabitation among citizens, driving social dynamics, promoting economic growth, and upholding democracy. This sense of belonging is closely tied to the perception of a collective identity. However, the proliferation of communities formed through social networks has diluted this notion of collective identity.

To address this challenge, the EPFL+ECAL Lab in partnership with the Cantonal and University Library of Fribourg in Switzerland, developed an experimental installation that aims to reinforce the social bonds between the citizens and their local history on an individual and collective perspective. As libraries struggle to valorise the richness of their collections, we explored how the heritage collections of the Cantonal and University Library can be used to generate new interactions with citizens, reigniting their sense of belonging to the Fribourg Canton.

The Cantonal and University Library of Fribourg holds important material related to the history and cultural identity of the Canton of Fribourg, but much of it remains unknown or hidden from the general public. Fribourg is a culturally and territorially diverse region, be it from its bilingual roots, its strong ties to the landscape and territory, or the particular symbiotic relationship between the rural and urban worlds that we can witness throughout its historic development. The cantonal library acts as mediator and keeper of these societal values. One of the key goals of the project was to valorise these relationships not only from an exhibitory approach but also contextualising them and making them relevant to the particularities of each visitor.