Boris Maas’s design and art is driven by his interests in nature, sense, non–sense and active presence on earth (active change of humankind). He strives to make the concerns of design relevant to society at large. Design and art, for him, is a crucial means for turning thinking into doing in the world. Maas’s works span sculpture (physical work), photography, film and installation. Not limited to the confines of the realm of design only or museums and galleries, his practice engages the broader public sphere through architectural projects, art installations and issues of sustainability and climate change.
It is essential for him to be able to work on applied projects and on more experimental, radical, autonomous works. Maas was born in 1995, and grew up in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. He studied from 2013 to 2018 at Design Academy Eindhoven and Konstfack in Stockholm.
Can the Seas Survive Us?
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LEEDS2023
In januari en november 2023 nam ik deel aan een aan een delegatie samengesteld door de Nederlandse Ambassade die diende als voorbereidende en verkennende fase voor de mogelijke installatie in Leeds.
Wind vane
Een installatie van twee spiegels, rood en groen, die om hun as draaien om de bakboord- en stuurboordzijde van de wind te tonen. Ontworpen in de coronapandemie, een tijd waarin de horizon niet verder reikt dan de huiskamer, verbeeldt dit project het gevoel van zelfbewustzijn, aarding en reflectie. Vanuit de vrijheid en stilte die zeilen biedt, kun je je eigen koers bepalen. Dit werk geeft zich over aan de winden.
The urge to sit dry
A warmer climate has led to a rise in sea level, which is expected to increase dramatically. "The urge to sit dry" is a chair that has risen above sea level. It offers a direct and tangible experience of the relative sea level to the street level. It arouses thoughts of living above a drowned land.
With this work, Maas wants to appeal to the imagination and give a feeling of the threatening and vulnerable situation we find ourselves in around climate urgency.