Designing the Nation State

Nationalism is the most influential ideology of the modern world. Even those who don’t eat an orange tompouce on King’s Day understand what ‘typically Dutch’ directness or gezelligheid means. And who could possibly imagine a world without passports, borders and citizenship? The fatherland is the highest authority and may demand anything from you. Our nationality seems entirely self-evident, rock-solid even. But it is not.

The nation state is a relatively recent invention, in which design plays a major role. National banknotes and government buildings are rightly considered prestigious design commissions. The authority of the state leans on designed symbols and rituals: the national flag, the national anthem, the coat of arms. By now, states have become a kind of marketing company. With commercial campaigns, tourist attractions, and social media, they attempt to conquer their own piece of our collective consciousness. Our lives are filled with well-known and lesser-known designs that remind us where our loyalty ought to lie.