March 11, 2007

Loan bank gets cynical with students

Filed under: Comics,General by Branko Collin @ 2:23 pm

studentenrekening-ib.pngThe Dutch government bank specifically founded to get students their loans and bursaries, the Informatie Beheer Groep (literally: information management group) apparently accompagnies its folder on how to pay back with a cartoon that shows a waiter presenting a long bill to a fat guy who has just excessively gorged himself on food and wine. I am guessing the PR department ordered a cartoonist to create an amusing drawing to spruce up an otherwise boring folder, but the result is a rather patronizing message. As if university students need to be told that there is a cost associated with gluttony. (And indeed, students are presented as the stereotype of the partying care-for-nothing; can you imagine a political party advertising to get new members by showing a cartoon of a guy lighting cigars with bank notes freshly stolen from the public?)

(Via Hay Kranen, via Sargasso.)

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March 10, 2007

Spend the night in a rescue pod

Filed under: Design,Dutch first by Branko Collin @ 4:49 am

[photo of two rescue pods]Denis Oudendijk, who makes art out of garbage, will let you stay at his Capsulehotel which consists of a number of discarded 1972 rescue pods. You will be a live work of art! A night in the luxury capsule, dubbed Bond Meets Barbarella, will set you back 150 euro, and contains amongst others two sheep skins, a martini bar and a DVD player with all Bond movies. Students get a hefty discount.

Oudendijk sees this project as a way to let people get to know his world.

(Via: :)= Esc.)

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March 2, 2007

I flag Friesland

Filed under: General by Branko Collin @ 11:15 pm

i_flag_friesland.png

I heart Friesland, this sticker of political party FNP appears to say. Except that the heart image is actually the leaf of a water lily, the symbol of Friesland. So this visual pun turns on itself; as eamelje.net paraphrases: “I slowly float on almost stagnant water that smells a bit funny. Beautifully subtle criticism.”

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February 26, 2007

Interview with ‘money maker’ Oxenaar

Filed under: Design,General by Branko Collin @ 10:29 pm
dutch_tenner.jpg

In 2002 the Dutch exchanged their adventurous banknote designs for drab, super-safe euro ones. For those who want to take a trip down memory lane and re-experience the Netherlands’ former “monopoly money”, CR Blog has an interview with the designer of many Dutch banknotes, “Ootje” Oxenaar who at age 76 is still teaching at the graphic design department of the Rhode Island School of Design. The interview contains several examples of his remarkable designs.

(Via l-rs.org)

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