Universal Basic Income

Art Direction

Volt & Adidas

Universal Basic Income
The notion of universal basic income is nothing new, but it’s only recently gained mainstream momentum, so you’d be forgiven thinking it is. What started out as a radical idea is no longer considered extremist.

For those in favor, universal basic income is seen as a pro-active response to the effects of automation. In a way, it might be to the tech-revolution, what the 8-hour workday was to the industrial revolution. But although the current debates focus on the future of artificial intelligence and how it will be «stealing» jobs, at its core we find the notion of income inequality. But don’t think this is just another add-on to the Scandinavian model, the notion of universal basic income is trending everywhere – quickly becoming a global phenomenon.

And while automation might be the argument du jour, many of us are cheering because universal basic income is also a financial facilitator for alternative ways of living – making it easier to choose to be an artist, an eco-farmer, or something else a little off the beaten path.

But we’re not there quite yet, policy still has a way to go, but it’s impossible to deny that the climate has shifted and that we’re no longer talking about if or why – but when and how.

Universal Basic Income
Brand: Adidas 
Art Direction: Mikal Murstad Strøm
Photography: Sara Angelica Spilling
Styling: Torstein Lohne
Model: Daniel Bakken