Berndnaut Smilde conducts elementary particles of water and smoke to create clouds riddled with sculptural complexity.  Suspended within spaces whose walls are dense with history, materiality, and architectural intrigue, Smilde creates an atmospheric artwork that would become ephemeral if not for the photographic documentation. Belonging to an ongoing body of work called the “Nimbus” series, […]

Mise-en-scène of the ephemeral Berndnuat Smilde returns to the digital pages of Installation Magazine, discussing his feature in the September 2013 issue of Harper’s Bazaar U.S. The new body of work ICONOCLOUDS juxtaposes the Dutch artist’s signature manufactured cloudscapes with fashion luminaries Karl Lagerfeld, Dolce & Gabbana, Donatella Versace and Alber Elbaz.

For a fleeting moment, Dutch artist Berndnaut Smilde controls clouds, an intangible natural phenomenon, by pressing a single button on a remote control.  Triggering a smoke machine into an environment where variables like temperature, humidity and light are carefully monitored, Smilde creates a picturesque, billowing cloud that assumes a natural density and airiness in a […]