The Urge to Sit Dry
BY BORIS MAAS
“The Urge to Sit Dry” addresses the climate crisis by portraying a chair raised above a projected future sea level. The project offers a direct, tangible experience of vertical elevation, simulating life on a flooded landscape and highlighting the fragile relationship between people, water, and changing environments.
The work invites reflection on global environmental issues that many know of but struggle to connect with. According to IPCC projections, sea levels could rise by up to a meter by 2100, posing major risks to coastal communities and nations reliant on water resources, such as the Netherlands.
Since its debut at the Design Academy Eindhoven graduation show during Dutch Design Week 2018, The Urge to Sit Dry has gained international recognition. One chair is permanently installed in the office of the Netherlands’ first minister for climate, Rob Jetten. Constructed from smoked and lighter European oak, the chair exclusively uses responsibly sourced wood traceable to its origin. Its height is calibrated according to the location’s vertical sea level. Other materials include reclaimed bronze and stainless steel.
ABOUT BORIS
Boris Maas (b. 1995) is a Rotterdam-based artist and designer whose work focuses on nature and its relationship with human beings. He investigates global issues, critically reflecting on and exploring these themes, with the impact of climate change serving as a key inspiration for his practice.
Collaboration with skilled craftsmen across various disciplines is central to Maas’s working method. This approach allows him to move beyond a single medium and engage deeply with subjects, resulting in bespoke projects. His work spans art installations, architectural projects, strategies, publications, and exhibitions.
Maas combines knowledge and expertise from diverse disciplines, employing art, design, and architecture to create pieces that provoke thought, stimulate the senses, and encourage change.
He studied at the Design Academy Eindhoven, graduating in 2018 with honorable mentions, and attended Konstfack University of Arts in Stockholm in 2016. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Architecture at Academie van Bouwkunst in Rotterdam.