"Initially, the main strength of Mattmo, which Mulder founded in the early 1990s together with Matthijs Tammes, was in website design. "We were big in the internet industry when the dot.com bubble burst. Thankfully, we had already developed several other specialities. Innovative minds will take you a long way, including in times of crisis. We keep in touch with the market, so we don't get overly stressed. Since the early days, we've become active in communication strategies, print, interaction, motion and spatial. We are somewhere between a design and advertising agency. We take on every project with a neutral, open mind whether involving an annual report, a website, an exhibition, a film or the design for a climate-neutral village." It was this same open-mindedness that led Mulder to spread her wings to China in 2003. The smaller the country, the bigger the outside world, she must have thought. She left with her creative partner Paul van Ravestein."

"We were sick to death of all the negative stories about China and reports that the creative sector should be worried about large-scale copycats. We were actually really curious about the creative minds in that huge country. Interdisciplinary thinking and experience sharing is in our blood. We were already giving lectures at Art & Design Academies and providing internships. We had therefore already learned to look at things from a broad perspective. And we like to break conventions. The creative industry may well be the most conservative in the Netherlands and is strongly influenced by the 'design police', which prescribe what is and isn't acceptable. But our aim was to push the established boundaries. In Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong we talked with filmmakers, writers, architects, (fashion)designers and creative people within a broad cultural spectrum. We are open to other cultures, which has to do with respect and entrepreneurship. In China, we looked for and found high-level culture creators."

China opened up a new market with new perspectives. "We didn't go there for the money. You set something up, which then evolves. It's easy to network and get involved in co-creations there. We work with a lot of partners in China. Anyone who looks beyond the border will find a world of opportunities. Here in the Netherlands we tend to think this country is the whole world. But there's a huge contrast between China and Holland. In China you face different volumes and different problems. Everything develops extremely quickly: Shanghai is like a roller coaster. Every six months the city's skyline get taller and there are new buildings around its periphery. The city is a colossal chaos and yet it has a structure. China can present dramatic hurdles or indeed tremendous prospects!"

Mattmo clearly hasnt tripped over the hurdles. "We will never become Chinese, but we're getting there. The Chinese are open and intelligent, and have a sense of humour. And yes, all the clichés are true. But hey, you can buy clogs in Holland too! They are incredibly fast and able to put things in perspective. We, too, are doing that more now that we have one foot in China and the other in Europe. Every time we come back, we see the Netherlands more clearly. If you want to innovate, get to know new people and explore new areas, it's fantastic to look far beyond your own borders. Now it's 'Made in China', but down the road it will be 'Created in China'. The creative Chinese are in a process of self-discovery. They are reinterpreting their roots and thus shaping their new identity. I was living in Berlin when the wall fell and witnessed the same redefinition of the German identity. I find that inspiring."

In tough times, stories from explorers like Mulder are a blessing. "We do notice the crisis in our assignments, however. We're getting the same volume of contracts, but they tend to be stripped to the essentials and less 'catchy'. The trend moves in waves: now it's about being sober and staid. Old Dutch customs. But if you're versatile in what you can offer, you won't suffer too much from the crisis. We have cross-media thinkers and specialists on staff: twenty in the centre of Amsterdam and five in China. We consciously choose balance, while we find it interesting to go a step beyond our usual boundaries. It's incredibly inspiring when you're working on a website for The Hague's Gemeentemuseum (municipal museum) while setting up an exhibition at the same time. We start by examining the DNA of an organisation and, based on that, we look at the idea. We do the same for all our clients, including cultural A-brands – from Rotterdam's Boijmans van Beuningen museum to the NAI (architecture museum) and from World Press Photo to Panl. A few years ago we worked with Eugène Bay to come up with the strategy for Panl. The media plan followed: a book and an exposition aimed at putting Panl on the map."

Mulder reemphasises that money is not the priority. "We also develop plenty of initiatives of our own, including a project on culinary culture. The format of the Dutch television series Pluijm op pad (Pluijm on the go), in which René Pluijm seeks out local and regional culinary cultures in Europe, was conceived by Mattmo. We also have our Creative City Lab. This project brings together innovative forces from the creative industry, education and the business market with the aim of seeking sustainable solutions for urgent and complex social issues. We see design as a fundamental means of communication in this process.
The responsibility of design goes beyond simply economic interest; it also has a social and global impact. Now more than ever, creativity should start in the boardroom. It belongs in the early stages of the process. There should be a creative director at board level. Creativity is too often the icing on the cake, but companies must become aware of its economic value. It enriches the product, ensures that your brand is taken seriously. The political world has got the message: the creative sector has moved up from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science to Economic Affairs. A positive development."

Source: PANL book #19
Writer: Gusta Winnubst
Portrait Monique Mulder: Jens van der Velde

Natural meat?
Our cows are fed exclusively on natural, vegetable based products and the calves stay with their mothers until they are slaughtered at around eight months. The pigs roam feely outside when it is dry, and in the spring we have lambs skipping about the place too.
We present our meat as it is when it has been slaughtered. I want people to know where the meat comes from - not from a plastic dish, but from an animal that has been killed.
By keeping the entire process as close to nature as possible, the meat from these animals not only tastes better; it is also a healthier option.
Most of your produce is used for gastronomic purposes, isn't it?
Yes it is, here in the Netherlands but also in countries like Italy and France. Our produce doesn't stop at meat either; we now offer clients a wide range of dairy products too.
Consumers are still mostly idealistic clients, cookery freaks or status seekers. What these people have in common is that they are tired of supermarket blandness, and they are acutely aware of the fact that the industrialisation of the food chain has had a dire effect on taste and quality.
Farm fresh, right?
Yes, and you can taste the difference, as you can with all our products‚ they all have that authentic taste. Where taste is concerned, we prefer not to describe our products as 'organic'; we are more concerned with authentic processes and breeds. Our ambition is to offer clients authentic produce from far and wide, and to create a physical and virtual marketplace for small-scale producers.