Indoor Clouds

Berndnaut Smilde, Nimbus Cukurkuma Hamam 2012. Photo by Onur Dag.

Berndnaut Smilde, Nimbus Platform57 2012. Photo by Cassander Eeftinck Schattenkerk.

Berndnaut Smilde, Nimbus Minerva 2012. Photo by Cassander Eeftinck Schattenkerk.

Berndnaut Smilde, Nimbus 2010.

Berndnaut Smilde, Nimbus D’Aspremont 2012. Photo by Cassander Eeftinck Schattenkerk.

Berndnaut Smilde, Nimbus II 2012. Photo by Cassander Eeftinck Schattenkerk.

Moses is famously known for parting the Red Sea, and Aeolus was said to have bestowed Odysseus with a bag containing the wind, and now Netherlands-based artist Berndnaut Smilde has mastered the art of conjuring clouds as part of his Nimbus series. Smilde’s methods however are less mythic and more practical, instead relying on delicate balance of smoke, moisture and light. Of course science alone doesn’t account for the striking visual impact contained in each image, as the artist carefully selects the perfect location for the creation of each cloud and then painstakingly lights it from behind for the desired effect. Via email Smilde tells me that it can take quite a while to get all of the elements in place for each cloud and that the installation is so fleeting, the use of photography is critical in capturing the split second where everything becomes perfect.