Based in Den Bosch, internationally acclaimed Dutch artist Maarten Baas is renowned for his whimsical, thought-provoking creations that blur the lines between conceptual art, design, installation, and performance.
You might recognise his world-famous performance installation Real Time, unveiled in 2016 at Schiphol Airport. Suspended above travellers in Departure Lounge 2, the 12-hour video features a janitor painstakingly painting and erasing the hands of a clock, minute by minute – a captivating meditation on the passage of time.
Humour and playfulness are signature threads woven throughout Baas’ body of work, challenging conventional ideas of perfection, functionality, and time itself. His creations invite viewers to engage with objects in a more tactile, personal way. While often light-hearted, his work also conveys profound messages – such as The Empty Chair, a tribute to human rights activist Liu Xiaobo. This piece is part of his Clay series, featuring spindly furniture hand-sculpted from clay, each imprinted with the artist’s own fingerprints. Read more about the limited edition collaboration with Art Fix here.
Baas’ works are housed in prestigious collections around the globe, including MoMA in New York and San Francisco, the Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Design Museum and V&A in London, and many more.
