Berndnaut Smilde

Berndnaut Smilde creates clouds where we least expect them. His ephemeral indoor clouds briefly transform familiar places into sites of wonder. Working with photographers, he captures his floating installations to produce surrealistic images absent of humans. Smilde has been manufacturing clouds since 2010, gradually building up his series titled “Nimbus,” which has made him an internet sensation. His images have been exhibited widely around the Netherlands, including at a 2013 solo show at the Bonnefanten in Maastricht. In 2012, Time Magazine named his clouds one of the year’s best inventions. Smilde uses just smoke and water vapor to produce his billowy masses, playing with scale, density, and shape based on the location. His ephemeral art explores such themes as temporality and impermanence, and construction and deconstruction.