A new work of art has been unveiled at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, continuing a tradition that has shaped the airport’s identity since the 1960s. Dutch designer Maarten Baas presents The People’s Clock, an installation created with the help of more than 1,000 participants and now on display in Lounge 1.
“The carefully thought-out Terminal design Schiphol took experience of the traveller as a starting point. This perspective aimed to contribute to a sense of calm, helping travellers feel at ease; Art was introduced to complement the peaceful environment and to provide points of reference. Over the years, as the airport grew and became more complex, it received a n additional role. Today, art also creates meaning and gets people to think about the human aspect of the airport”, Schiphol Airport writes in a press release.
One of the better-known examples of art at the airport is the so-called Real Time clock by Maarten Baas, which has been part of Lounge 2 since 2016. The clock features hands drawn on in real time with a roller and paint by the designer himself, dressed in a pair of blue overalls. It is part of Baas’ Real Time series, artworks designed to point out the strangeness of measured, a project which dates back to 2009.
The People’s Clock
Ten years later, Baas returns to Schiphol with yet another art installation. Just like last time, the designer put together a clock. However, contrary to his design from 2016, The People’s Clock was made with the cooperation of some 1,000 people.
“Thousands of people are involved in the clock. It’s a huge production and really the effort of so many people who did this behind the scenes. I don’t know any other example in which so many people for such a long time were concentrated on one place to make one artwork. So many people who are becoming, literally, time,” Baas explains in a docu about the process.
Not only does The People’s Clock show the passage of time, the project also demonstrates the power of cooperation. About 1,000 people, mainly airport employees such as security staff, baggage handlers, airline personnel, and cleaners, helped to make the piece of art become a reality. The volunteers were asked to move in sync in order to form the clock’s hour and minute hands. Meanwhile, a single person running a lap of the circular perimeter each minute forms the second hand.
The People’s Clock was filmed in real time at a hangar located at Schiphol, a process that took over 12 hours overall. In order to make sure that people stayed engaged, an array of activities was organised by the airport and its partners, such as yoga, silk-printing, games, meals, and workshops.
Maarten Baas’ new art installation has been installed at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport’s Lounge 1. Measuring 250 x 250 x 250 centimetres, it will undoubtedly become an important point of reference for the millions of intra-European travellers going through the lounge every year.
