The idea of an unconditional basic income (UBI), is a prominent topic in progressive economics. This complex idea is often understood in a rather simplistic scenario where every citizen receives a guaranteed monthly income, hopefully enough to live by, no questions asked. But there are different models of a basic income, making the real question not, "whether to implement this idea”, but perhaps “what kind of (basic income) economy would be desirable in general”?

In this interactive installation, visitors can experience two different basic income economies, whereby coffee is used to visualise the cash flow. Upon entering the café, visitors receive a free ‘cup of basic income’. For every additional cup, visitors can ‘go to work’ by grinding coffee beans. That way, value is generated (brewn) - part of which is their extra salary (additional income). The other part flows off as tax contribution to the communal coffee pot, financing the basic income of the next ones. And so the economic circle continues. The coffee metaphor brings a familiar context and turns it into a place where people end up discussing economics together on a fundamental level.

This coffee installation makes two different basic income economies experienceable. One system is modelled after the UBI definition, where a basic income needs to be high enough to secure one’s basic needs – without work requirement. This side is also partially inspired by the attitudes put forward by the initiators of the 2016 Swiss national referendum on whether every Swiss citizen should unconditionally receive a guaranteed monthly income or not.

The other system provides a helping hand but assumes there is extra income to achieve a full (basic) income, which was modelled after the pilot experiment that ran in Finland in 2018. Unemployed Finns received partial financial support – enough to help them find a job, but not high enough to live from. Translated to the installation, visitors receive only half a cup of coffee for free. For a proper full cup, they have to work in order to fill it up. This shows a clear work incentive that ensures everyone contributes to the overall economy.

“What would you do, if your income were taken care of? How do you value different types of work? When should someone earn more than others?”. These were some of the questions we asked to 44 entrepreneurs, retired workers, students, homeless people, employees young and old who came in for a coffee + chat – and gathered their views in a research report on current definitions of work. Such personal and complex conversations were only possible with the informing coffee installation that made it all graspable: people could literally point at their income tax flowing off or feel the amount of work it requires to keep the system going. Changing the terms from economic jargon to down-to-earth coffee vocabulary also helped playfully shift perspectives. The café was open to the public three days a week, for three months in the centre of The Hague.