This week, Foundation We Are, serving as guest editor, is contributing five articles about societal challenges on Dutch Design Daily.
Today: Pile of Evidence, an installation by Milieudefensie, Pinopotato and Robin Tijdeman, visualises the power of evidence and collective action. The work later became part of Designing Democracy – In Need of New Dialogues during Dutch Design Week 2025.
On March 28th 2025, over 150 activists delivered 239 pieces of evidence to the headquarters of the ING’s, the biggest bank of the Netherlands. This marked the legal lawsuit against the bank. The archive boxes contain reports of climate experts and analyses of ING’s major investments in polluting fossil fuel companies.
Pile of Evidence is an installation created by Milieudefensie, Pinopotato and Robin Tijdeman. Originally brought to ING’s headquarters as part of the legal action, the work was later exhibited at Designing Democracy – In Need of New Dialogues, an exhibition curated by Foundation We Are which debuted at Dutch Design Week 2025. As one of the exhibition’s central works, it responded to the growing pressure on democracies worldwide by inviting visitors to reflect on how we engage with democratic processes, including access to justice, in times of division and uncertainty.
Designing Democracy encouraged visitors to move beyond observation and become active participants in democratic dialogue, presenting democracy not as a fixed system, but as an ongoing, collective practice that everyone can help shape.
Milieudefensie is a Dutch environmental organisation fighting for climate justice. Supported by thousands of members and volunteers, it campaigns for major polluting companies to reduce their emissions and act in line with the Paris Agreement.
Pinopotato is a social artist and sociologist whose bold, politically engaged work challenges existing systems and inspires collective action.
Robin Tijdeman is a filmmaker and thinker whose playful and curious perspective invites audiences to see the world through fresh eyes, drawing inspiration from the sense of wonder found in childhood.
About Foundation We Are
Foundation We Are is a cultural hub for social resilience. They conduct independent, transformative design research and make this knowledge publicly accessible through exhibitions, events, and publications on a wide range of social issues, either commissioned by or in collaboration with governments and businesses.
