The People’s Clock: a Timepiece Made of People

As part of his Real Time series, artist Maarten Baas has created The People’s Clock, a timepiece that lives in Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport. To create the clock’s “workings”, Baas recorded more than 1000 volunteers moving as the clock’s hands over a 12-hour period. If you look carefully, you can see a single individual dressed in orange at the edge of the circle acting as the second hand:
Each of the installed clock’s faces is a looped video of that recording, synced to the current time. Here’s a quick behind-the-scenes video of how the clock was made:
See also Baas’s Sweeper’s Clock and Schiphol Clock.




Comments 3
The Baas Real Time clock in Schiphol is wonderful. One of the many reasons I choose to transfer through Schiphol when I have the opportunity. On a recent visit to London I was delightfully surprised to see he has a similar clock installed outside of Paddington Station. The clock is at 50 Eastbourne Terrace on the southwest side of Paddington just across the street from the Wild Table of Love sculpture. Public art for the win!
this is lovely... would be awesome to have Marclays The Clock playing as well!
Is the clock interest specific to Baas or a Dutch thing in general?
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