[TitaRusell]

They had something like this in the Netherlands during the 80s. Basically everyone was out of a job back then so it didn't really matter. Worst recession since 1929.

Artists had to make a buch of art which was then given to the government. The state ended up with entire warehouses filled with crap.

[codingdave]

There was also the WPA program in the USA:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_Progress_Administration

The work also included infrastructure projects, and often would create public art to decorate the infrastructure. That is why you'll see far more decorative work when looking at bridges from that era, for example.

[chao-]

I remember learning about this in high school, but grew up in a part of a large city that only really developed after the 1940's, I didn't think much of it. However, the name was catchy so I had it stashed in my memory somewhere.

As I've gone on to live in a few older cities, I have been surprised the number of times that I have (for example) come across a bridge or tunnel or whatnot and seen a big serif "WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION 1936" plaque on one side of it. It always feels like stepping into an alternate reality where history is more present and real.

It feels like a silly way to phrase it, but growing up where only a handful of buildings were older than 40 years, encountering history in a more banal form, like a simple bridge with some engravings, always feels more impactful than seeing some 500-year-old castle, monument or other touristy site.

[vintermann]

There's a lot of weird and wonderful stuff from that era which came out of the WPA, like the American Guide series. I think we understand that period of time in the US on a deeper level thanks to it.

[calvinmorrison]

they hired artists and builders, they had a nice run of building domestic concentration camps that would make Nancy Pelosi scream ice faster than you could blink

[Towaway69]

Sounds a bit like if the state invested in startups … hm wait.

[extraduder_ire]

Enterprise Ireland is the largest VC firm in the world by amount paid and number of clients.

Due to EU rules on state aid though, it's technically a quango and not part of the government despite being spun off of the then privatised national sugar company.

They also pay Ireland's contributions toward ESA, so the Irish flags you see printed on the side of Ariane rockets aren't a direct result of what the government is doing.

[Daub]

Oddly enough I have just finished making the same observation and used the word 'crap' to describe the result, without even seeing your comment.

[thenthenthen]

Is this something als than the (former) 1% rule? Every new state owned buildings budget was to be spend on art.

[cjbgkagh]

I have a feeling that this art will end up all over the walls.

[dpc050505]

Your mind will be blown once you discover rent seeking behaviour.

[echelon_musk]

Surely you mean a worker owned factory.

[jamesbelchamber]

Marxists don't like Basic Income and it's incompatible with Marxist ideology.

"Marxism" has just become thought-terminating shorthand for "thing I don't like".