Amsterdam-based artist Berndnaut Smilde is best known for his fantastical Nimbus series, in which individual clouds appear to magically float in empty rooms. The haunting images portray the airy nimbuses drifting through gorgeous Rococo rooms, Gothic cathedrals, and abandoned factories, evoking a sense of mysticism or supernatural presence.
Carefully controlling the temperature and humidity in a room, Smilde uses a fog machine to produce the ethereal clouds that remain suspended in the air for only a fleeting moment. Although the nimbuses are visible for just a few seconds, their ephemeral existences are made permanent through photography. These works center on an impermanent state of being between construction and deconstruction, as the dreamy clouds appear and vanish in the blink of an eye.
Smilde's latest exhibition Antipode will be on display at the Ronchini Gallery in London until June 14. The show will feature the artist's stunning multidisciplinary works that synthesize photography, installation, performance, and sculpture. The exhibition title Antipode is a geographical term that refers to parts of the earth diametrically opposite each other, echoing Smilde's focus on duality in his artwork.
