Editor’s Letter

People keep talking about Holland. (Perhaps, not quite as much as they do about Anastasia Zavorotnyuk or Plans of the Party). However practically every designer is ready to discuss with considerable excitement the benefits and drawbacks and draw comparisons. You might ask «What is there to be compared?» Well, nothing in particular. Maybe these are some incomparable things, such as oil and design. Dutch woods are full of fat squirrels; there are windmills on the seashore, that besides being an important detail of the landscape pump the water back into the sea. Russia is a vast expanse where even the wind itself can get lost, leave alone human beings.

We always feel like going to Holland, because we come from Russia. It is the eternal story of plus and minus. In Russia our wellbeing depends totally on an oil pipe -in Holland among other important things it depends on design. You might not believe this, but out of every 10 Euros that are made in this country 7 cents are earned by designers. By the way we found that out from the Dutch annual report and the figures impressed us tremendously. This is the money that is used for building roads, teaching children and paying pensions and benefits!

Unbelievable — you might say. This is just Holland. The country is engaged in constant struggle for its land. Every new meter of their territory is made, put together by hand (well some of the work is done by machines). But if we look deeper, we will see that the Dutch create and design their own land- territory. What could be more elegant than creating in a biblical way your own land, not during the second day, but day by day?

We can suppose that design is the blood of the nation -something they are born with. The Dutch are incredible, they emanate inspiration. It is best going there so you can see with your own eyes. And meanwhile we are dedicating two issues to Holland. You better believe it, if we only had a chance we would make three and even four issues.

We keep watching, there is nothing more beautiful than Dutch design of flesh, mind and land. That’s what we think.

Peter Bankov

Content issue

• Economic context of design in the Netherlands
• Design(ed) country: A very brief history of Holland
• Ben Bos. “Renaissance man”
• De Design Politie. Design Police
• Droog Design. Movement is everything
• What is there to be found in the garden of Eden?
• Fons Schiedon. Animated Tales
• Corporation of Good Deeds
• Koeweiden Postma. Dutch Dream
• Max Kisman. Graphics illustrator
• Lava Discovery: Changes and Constancy
• Antithesis of Glossy Magazines
• Metahaven. Scientific Design
• TBWA\Company Group. Seen In The Distance
• Thonik Studio
• From Total Design to Total Identit