Budget Dreams - The Miljoenennota in 20 Years

Third year Graphic Design students were given special access to the financial data for proposed governmental spendings and income for 2016, as made public in the annual Miljoenennota on Prinsjesdag in 2015. Their task was to carry out extensive research and re-contextualise the information, statistics and figures from the Miljoenennota to imagine the year 2035. Resulting projects are speculative, imaginative and personal new forms extending our understanding of data visualization and forecasting. Projects include interactive and audio-visual works as well as printed publications and posters.

In current times our world economy is ruled by capitalistic principles, unpredictable markets and national profit-seeking. We increasingly come to realise that our future is an experimental, hypothetical view created by those in power, and perhaps it is now up to us to create alternative visions on how our current situation should change for better. The works of the students from the Royal Academy of Art stand as strong testament to the passionate involvement and intellectual curiosity of a whole new generation.

The projects were first exhibited at the Ministry of Finance (11 February – 2 March 2016) ; official opening by Manon Leijten (Secretary-general of the Ministry of Finance) and Marieke Schoenmakers (director of the Royal Academy of Art The Hague). Selected works by students (winner, nominees and honourable mentioning) were later on view for a broader public at the Haagse Kunstkring (2-28 March 2016).

Participating students: Fay Asselbergs, Paul Bille, Remco Blom, Baron Chong Kin Mun, Noa Defesche, Paula Dias Garcia, Alice Fialová, Kate Gaidamaka, Leo Gauttier, Amaya Hagelaar, Janne van Hooff, Victoria Jung, Márton Kabai, Ninthe Kiemeneij, Carmel Klein, Simona Koutná, Manus, Nijhoff, Pauline Le Pape, Yacinth Pos, Laura de Rijk, Jordy Ringeling, Jamie de Rooij, Mads Sandholm, Pascal Schilp, Antonia Schwaiger, Magda Skibinska, Jaap Smit, Sean Valies, Lisa van den Heuvel, Wies de Wal and Bohye Woo

Supervision and curation: Lauren Alexander and Niels Schrader

Project management: Marieke Ladru and Chantal Roosen

Exhibition design: Judith van Lierop and Kristel ter Steege

Graphic Design: Thijmen Brunschot

Special thanks to Nick Axel, AZC Zaandam, Roel Backaert, Karolina Duin, Jesse Groenewegen, Manon Leijten, Wim Jansen, Stichting PRiKiCHi, Marieke Schoenmakers, Hans Simons, Carolyn Strauss and Eva Vijselaar