DICTATOR'S LAUNDROMAT

DICTATOR'S LAUNDROMAT

ABOUT

The Dictator's Laundromat is an immersive installation created for the 2025 SXSW Expo, that exposes the hidden systems that allow authoritarian leaders to conceal, move, and legitimize stolen wealth, transforming a complex geopolitical issue into an experience that is immediate, accessible, and engaging.

CHALLENGE

Kleptocracy operates largely out of public view. Its mechanisms—shell companies, lobbying networks, financial intermediaries, and reputation laundering—are abstract, technical, and difficult to communicate. The challenge was to make these complex systems engaging and accessible within a crowded festival environment. Rather than presenting information as policy or advocacy, the installation translates complex financial networks into clear visual stories that reward exploration.

SOLUTION

Inspired by the visual language of suburban laundromats, the exhibition uses an almost synthetic bubblegum-saturated color palette to create tension between playful surface and serious subject matter. interconnected systems behind global money laundering.


The installation attracted record attendance and expanded visibility for the Combating Kleptocracy program, demonstrating the power of design to make complex political issues accessible and engaging.

ROLE

Creative Director

TEAM

Design Lead

Eric Hurtgen

Designer

Lucian French

Animator

Sara Afridi

Fabricator

Adjn

VISUAL IDENTITY

ANIMATION

EXPERIENTIAL

DICTATOR'S LAUNDROMAT

ABOUT

The Dictator's Laundromat is an immersive installation created for the 2025 SXSW Expo, that exposes the hidden systems that allow authoritarian leaders to conceal, move, and legitimize stolen wealth, transforming a complex geopolitical issue into an experience that is immediate, accessible, and engaging.

CHALLENGE

Kleptocracy operates largely out of public view. Its mechanisms—shell companies, lobbying networks, financial intermediaries, and reputation laundering—are abstract, technical, and difficult to communicate. The challenge was to make these complex systems engaging and accessible within a crowded festival environment. Rather than presenting information as policy or advocacy, the installation translates complex financial networks into clear visual stories that reward exploration.

SOLUTION

Inspired by the visual language of suburban laundromats, the exhibition uses an almost synthetic bubblegum-saturated color palette to create tension between playful surface and serious subject matter. interconnected systems behind global money laundering.


The installation attracted record attendance and expanded visibility for the Combating Kleptocracy program, demonstrating the power of design to make complex political issues accessible and engaging.

ROLE

Creative Director

TEAM

Design Lead

Eric Hurtgen

Designer

Lucian French

Animator

Sara Afridi

Fabricator

Adjn

VISUAL IDENTITY

ANIMATION

EXPERIENTIAL

Blurred portrait of a woman with warm skin tones and a purple background.
Blurred portrait of a woman with warm skin tones and a purple background.

Blurred portrait of a woman with warm skin tones and a purple background.
Blurred portrait of a woman with warm skin tones and a purple background.

Blurred portrait of a woman with warm skin tones and a purple background.
Blurred portrait of a woman with warm skin tones and a purple background.

Blurred portrait of a woman with warm skin tones and a purple background.
Blurred portrait of a woman with warm skin tones and a purple background.

Blurred portrait of a woman with warm skin tones and a purple background.
Blurred portrait of a woman with warm skin tones and a purple background.