Basic Income Café nominated for Dutch Design Award 2019

A universal or unconditional basic income can differ greatly depending on the intentions and conditions of its implementation. In this interactive installation visitors can experience two different basic income economies, using coffee to visualize the flow of money.

Basic Income Café Manifesto

It’s time to redefine the concept of work. We believe that work compensated through money is not the only valuable, meaningful work. And the creation of jobs for the sake of keeping people busy is absurd. People should be spared from work if there is none!

But wait, if I don’t work, how am I supposed to buy a cup of coffee?

We strongly believe that we need to secure income, not jobs. That’s why everybody should have the right to an unconditional basic income — or in this case: a free cup of coffee, providing enough energy to kickstart your day. Look at it this way: if you don’t drink a coffee first, how can you work? Because if our basic needs are covered, if we need not fear that we cannot earn our coffee, we can choose work more freely and be more mindful of others. As a community we make sure there is enough coffee for all of us. Guaranteeing an unconditional cup of basic coffee, from everyone to everyone. And if you want more than one cup of coffee? Go work for it! Grind some beans and just make coffee! Now, do you prefer to work in order to get your coffee, or drink coffee to enable work? You choose.