New Dutch Design 2026 – Recurring memories

An inconspicuous marginal feature with graphic markings at the bottom of a film strip from an analog roll was the most distinctive element for the designers in choosing analog photography as a nostalgic subject from more than half a century ago for the stamp issue. Emission data: Design by Nicole Uniquole in collaboration with 2nd-year Graphic Design students at ArtEZ, University of the Arts (Zwolle), including Aliesje de Blok (Amersfoort, 1968), Eline van de Streek (Harderwijk, 2002) & Stoof van de Weg (Apeldoorn, 1999); first day of issue 16 February 2026; edition 75.000 sheets; printer Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé BV in Haarlem. Origin of graphic signs When designing the 'Recurring Memories' stamp sheet, the design team started from an inconspicuous part of an analog film roll, namely the markings and holes of the analog film strip. As a reader, you will undoubtedly wonder: “How did you arrive at this convincing premise so quickly?” Our eldest daughter, Elske, celebrated her 50th birthday last week. As a proud father, I took several photos with analog film rolls back in 1976, which I have stored in my archive. Google Images Knowing little or nothing about analog photography, I examined my film strips alongside Google Images and noticed that the bottom of the strip is richly adorned with small angular characters. Some of the characters are not entirely visible due to the openings of the film strip perforations. Film strip as a medium abstracted in form and color In the enlargement of a section of another film strip, the graphic markings with right-angled shapes and the perforation openings stand out more clearly. The design group works exuberantly with this in an expressive-creative manner, in combination with concentric circle patterns and colors. Feedback or recurring reminders The common saying 'He who knows the past will better understand and appreciate the present' idealizes the analog film roll of yesteryear in a glorifying-idealizing manner. The three remaining New Dutch Design issues share the same approach regarding a yet-to-be-unknown subject: • Taste the Atmosphere, release date May 11, 2026, • Glow of the Moment, release date August 10, 2026, • Echo of the Party, release date September 28, 2026. Osimilarities, contradictions & fragmentations • Horizontal or vertical stamps are determined by the position of the typography or by an appealing/soothing horizontal arrangement? • Striking dominance between the left and right parts of the sheet due to red-orange contrasting with blue, combined with 'broken' purple contrasting with solid yellow. • Abstract imagery from 2026 contrasting with typography from 2025. • Perforation openings and graphic characters with fragmented outlines contrast with cleanly executed outlines. • The layered stamp sheet creates receding areas in both the foreground and background due to color. Variation in the placement of concentric circles or parts thereof (horizontally or vertically) gives the overall image even greater clarity or lack thereof. I would like to conclude with a question for reflection: Does a sheet of stamps or a stamp present a symbolically unstable image of our country and/or our world in social, economic, political, and/or geopolitical terms?