'Change the System' features projects by designers who want to change the world, either step by step or in one big gesture. With work by more than fifty designers and artists, the exhibition gives a vision of contemporary design’s potency for change: can we rid the oceans of plastic, create a world without plastic, use graphic design to clarify and sharpen social debate?

'Change the System' is spread across eight galleries and brings together the work of some fifty designers and artists from the Netherlands and abroad. It showcases their solutions for global problems such as pollution, conflicts, scarcity of raw materials and political tensions. Alongside existing projects, in the exhibition some of the designers will develop new works or carry out experiments with the active participation of the public.

Some designers will create temporary production sites in the museum, where they will make things together with the public. Other experiments are focused more on creating a momentum or a community.

With 'Change the System' Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen dedicates itself to the resilience of creativity. The museum wants to inspire its visitors to look at social themes through the eyes of creative thinkers. The exhibition shows a current overview of groundbreaking design as well. From young and renowned designers that relate to the theme in an innovative and personal way and dare to work outside the boundaries of their own disciplines.

Curator Annemartine van Kesteren: “I believe that creativity is a powerful means to address the big questions of the moment. Contemporary design can inspire, initiate change or set a transfiguration of ideas in motion. Change the System gives a current overview of groundbreaking work of designers that relate to social current topics such as scarcity, conflict and unanimity. Change the System does not only exhibit highlights from contemporary design. In five Labs designers develop new work or conduct experiments where they actively involve the visitors.”

Designers such as Eric Klarenbeek, Iris van Herpen, Jólan van der Wiel, Dave Hakkens and Christien Meindertsma are connected to the three current themes scarcity, conflict and plurality.