Considered one of the most influential artist-designers of the early 21st century, Maarten Baas straddles the boundaries between art and design. Known for his rebellious, intellectual, theatrical and artistic style, his oeuvre integrates conceptual art, craftsmanship, installation, public space and performance.
Born in 1978 in Arnsberg, Germany, Baas graduated from the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2002, occupying a unique position in the field.
Drawing upon his graduate research on beauty and imperfection, Baas created his debut significant work Smoke, whereby he charcoals objects and preserves resin, experimenting with nature in constant flux. His Clay series expresses artistic vulnerability, with each piece being handmade. Baas’ most renowned work, Real Time series – 12-hour films of performances indicating the time – combine theatre, art, film and design. These works gave him instant worldwide recognition. His work is in numerous private and major museum collections, such as the Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA, the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK, Les Arts Décoratifs Paris, France, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar, the Netherlands, the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Pinakothek der Moderne – Die Neue Sammlung, Munich, DE and the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, AU.
In 2009, he was named ‘Designer of the Year’ at Design Basel/ Miami. In 2012, the New York Times listed both Smoke and Clay in its ‘Top 25 Design Classics of the Future’. In 2016, Baas won the Artprize for his Real Time: Sweepers Clock.
Baas has also worked for brands like Louis Vuitton, Swarovski, Hermès, Dior, Isabel Marant, KLM and Schiphol Airport, Dom Ruinart and Berluti.
In 2017, his first monograph was published, titled Hide & Seek, coinciding with a major museum solo show at the Groninger Museum, Netherlands, that still travels to museums worldwide.
His work is found in numerous private and major museum collections, such as MoMA New York, Victoria & Albert Museum London, Les Arts Décoratifs Paris, San Francisco MoMA and Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. Furthermore, he has worked for exclusive brands like Louis Vuitton, Swarovski, Hermès, Dior, Isabelle Marant, KLM and Schiphol Airport, Dom Ruinart and Berluti.
In 2017, his first monograph was published, titled ‘Hide & Seek’, coinciding with a major museum solo show at the Groninger Museum (NL), that still travels to museums worldwide.
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Literature
2021 / Angelika Nollert ed., MAARTEN BAAS – NEW TIMES, Die Neue Sammlung, Pinakothek der Moderne, Müchen, Köln: Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther und Franz König
2017 / Maarten Baas ed., Hide & Seek, Eindhoven: Lecturis
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/ Vitra Design Museum | Weil am Rhein, Germany
/ The Museum of Fine Arts | Houston, USA
/ Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam | Netherlands
/ Collection Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean | Mudam Luxembourg –Cafesjian Center for the Arts | Yerevan, Armenia
/ Graphic Design Museum | Breda, Netherlands
/ Centre National des Arts Plastiques | Paris, France
/ Philadelphia Museum of Art | Philadelphia, USA
/ Rijksmuseum Amsterdam | Amsterdam, Netherlands
/ Centraal Museum | Utrecht, Netherlands
/ Die Neue Sammlung / Pinakothek der Moderne | München, Germany
/ Design Museum | London, UK
/ Groninger Museum | Groningen, Netherlands
/ Museum of Modern Art | New York, USA
/ Victoria & Albert Museum | London, UK
