Maarten Baas (born 19 February 1978) is a Dutch designer. From 1979, Baas grew up in Burgh-Haamstede and Hemmen located in the southwest and central region of the Netherlands. After graduating from high school, he began studying at the Design Academy Eindhoven in 1996. Baas is considered to be one of the most influential Dutch designers of the beginning of the 21st century. He is often described as an “author designer,” of which his works lie on the boundaries between art and design. His work is known as rebellious, playful, intellectual, theatrical and artistic. He has gained an autonomous position in the design field, and his work varies from conceptual designs, limited editions, production design, installations, public space, architecture, interior design, theater design and performances.
His works are in major museum collections, such as the MoMa, Victoria & Albert Museum, Les Arts Decoratifs, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Die Neue Sammlung, Stedelijk Museum and Rijksmuseum. And in private collections of Brad Pitt, Kanye West, Ian Schrager and Adam Lindemann. He worked for exclusive brands, such as Louis Vuitton, Swarovski, Dior, Gramercy Park Hotel, Dom Ruinart and Berluti.
From 2005, Baas has collaborated with Bas den Herder as his production partner.
The Real Time series are 12-hour films of performances indicating the time. With Real Time, Baas combines theatre, art, film and design in a series of new clock designs.
Real Time was launched in April 2009 at the Salone Del Mobile in Milan, Italy with with the Sweepers, Analog Digital and Grandfather clocks. Since then, Real Time has expanded from films and standing grandfather, to an iphone app (found below) and special commissions, such as the Schiphol clock, launched in July 2016.
Real Time | Sweepers clock (excerpt)
video, 2009
The Real Time series are 12-hour films of performances indicating the time. With Real Time, Baas combines theatre, art, film and design in a series of new clock designs.
The Sweepers clock features two handymen sweeping trash for 12 hours, indicating the time as they go.
Real Time | Analog Digital clock (app)
iphone app, 2010
The Analog Clock, launched as a film in 2009, depicts a standard digital clock in which a man manually indicates the time by painting and revealing the digits. After clocks were purchased by museums and private collectors, Baas returned to Milan the following year in 2010 with the film reformatted as an iphone app- his work available for only 99 cents
