Berndnaut Smilde

Berndnaut Smilde: Nimbus, 2012

Dutch artist Berndnaut Smilde achieves the impossible through his installations.  Interested in the ‘transitional spaces’ that are vital to any structure yet easily forgotten—such as hallways, doorways, and corners—Smilde positions his pieces to connect with its ‘in between’ surroundings.  The diversity of his works keeps the audience guessing, pleasantly surprised, and wanting more.  With each series, it’s a fresh start, new beginning, another story:  tangles of large painted tube ventilators that resemble some live slithering creature protruding from a doorway, a lambda print depicting a man leaning on a buttress, comically positioned on the floor and angled to rest on the wall and humorously entitled ‘Bored Art,’ or small models suspended in air.  However, it is Smilde’s ‘Nimbus Series’ that has captured the most attention.  Although it is less about defying nature and more about creating an ominous mood and the ‘visualization of bad luck’, the Nimbus collection is unforgettable.   The imagery of a cloud nonchalantly floating indoors has fascinated the masses.  Smilde creates these indoor clouds by regulating the temperature and humidity of the room and the use of a fog machine.  While these clouds only last a few moments before dissipating, through photography, Nimbus is frozen in time—allowing the audience to experience the impossible.  For more information on Berndnaut Smilde, click here.