Analog Digital Clock

Dutch designer and artist Maarten Baas grew up in the Netherlands, despite being born in Germany in 1978. He studied at the Design Academy in Eindhoven. Baas experiments with different materials and working methods and is known for his humorous and sometimes provocative approach to design. He is globally recognised for his innovative and unique take on functional art.

“Analog Digital Clock” is part of his famous “Real Time” series. The fascinating clocks can be seen in various places around the world. In the series, Baas has the hours and minutes on the clock change over by human hands. He does it with both digital clocks and clocks with a dial. The clock at Schiphol Airport is very well-known and gives the illusion that there is a man inside the clock who continuously paints the hands with the correct time on a glass plate and wipes them away again when the time has elapsed.

The clock in the Kalverpassage was specially made for this location. The work invites you to think about the concept of time and how we perceive time. By manually moving the digital clock, Baas creates a moment of wonder. I bet you also stood still for a moment to watch the time tick away? It’s nice for a place in which you might want to shop quickly and efficiently isn’t it? There may even be a message in there: take some time, enjoy the moment.