Designing Scarcity
The First World War period in the Netherlands was not overly characterised by military force and suppression. A carefully maintained policy of neutrality, made possible by the need on the part of surrounding countries for a neutral, sea-linked zone, enabled the Netherlands to stay out of the war, at least in a military sense. The Netherlands was, however, hit by a growing scarcity. More and more food and materials that would otherwise have been imported, were claimed by surrounding countries for the war economy. This formed the point of departure for a project around scarcity as a motivation and driving force behind new design approaches.
