Berndnaut Smilde is a Dutch artist who uses a smoke machine, water vapor, and a fixing product to make his art. The end result of this creation is the formation of clouds which he photographs.

Smilde is calling the series, Nimbus. This display is located in Switzerland at the Vevey Festival of Images. His works of art take place in different locations such museums, galleries, churches, castles, and a former psychiatric hospital to name a few.

Smilde recently did an interview where he revealed a lot about this series.

His desire to want to photograph clouds traced back to his work with space and architecture. He had imagined himself walking through an empty museum, all of the walls empty from paintings and other art forms. He was envisioning clouds being exhibited in a corner of the room.

Smilde described the link between the clouds and the backdrops, “The clouds are actually ephemeral sculptures, they are immaterial, unlike the spaces. Art often operates within exhibition spaces, the location and the works are therefore linked and respond to each other in a certain way. I try to recreate this relationship with clouds. I am always looking for new architectural elements and new locations in which clouds can take life.”

He admitted that clouds do hold a special meaning and he enjoys playing off of those symbols and connotations. A single cloud in a tight, closed off space could be perceived as positive, as well as threatening, depending on the person. There are many ways to interpret clouds, exactly what Berndnaut is hoping to highlight.

The conditions that Smilde works in are typically cold and he only takes the time to snap a few photographs. When it comes to the light, occasionally he will block windows. Somedays he will even study the light.

Smilde does not consider himself a scientist in any way, shape, or form. He simply thinks of himself as a creator. While his art does include scientific aspects, the science isn’t the overall important part. Right now, he is working on decomposing light to create rainbows.

Berndnaut Smilde finds it intriguing to work with ephemerality because he likes the idea that something does not last forever as it eventually disappears. He likes how his photos show a cloud that once existed but no longer does.

Also in the interview, Smilde hinted at some future projects. “I am currently working on some slow motion videos, still featuring clouds. I am interested in the way in which clouds grow, change shape, and are affected by light. This work is very different. It is impossible to comprehend the size of a cloud, it could be huge, or tiny all at once.”

Olafur Eliasson and Pedro Cabrita Reis are the two artists who inspire his work the most. Eliasson works with natural phenomena while Reis works with architecture in relation to space.

Images of Smilde’s work and more about him can be found on his official website: http://www.berndnaut.nl/works.htm