Dutch artist Berndnaut Smilde is renowned for his remarkable ability to create real, yet ephemeral, indoor clouds, an artistic feat that has captured the imagination of audiences worldwide. Known for his Nimbus series, Smilde uses water vapor and smoke to form clouds inside rooms that have no air circulation, creating temporary and transient works of art that exist only for a few seconds before dissipating. His creations explore themes of impermanence and the fleeting nature of time, making a powerful statement about the temporary beauty of the moment.

Smilde's process involves manipulating the physical elements within a controlled indoor environment. By introducing water vapor into the air and mixing it with smoke, he enables the water particles to cling to the smoke, forming tiny, visible clouds. These clouds, suspended in mid-air, are short-lived and vanish almost immediately, leaving behind only a brief impression in the space they once occupied. This impermanence is central to Smilde's artistic exploration, as he seeks to capture the ephemeral beauty of a moment that can never be recreated.

Each of Smilde's clouds is carefully photographed, creating a permanent record of something that existed for only a fleeting instant. His photographs serve as both a document of the moment and an exploration of time, space, and the transient nature of human experience. The artist's underlying message is clear: everything, from clouds to life itself, is temporary and subject to change. This philosophical perspective is a core theme that runs through much of his work.

One of Smilde's notable projects is Iconoclouds, in which he collaborated with prominent fashion designers. The project featured these designers posing with Smilde's miniature clouds, creating an intriguing juxtaposition between the world of high fashion and the natural world. By combining the elegance of fashion with the ethereal beauty of his clouds, Smilde invites viewers to reflect on the interplay between the permanence of human creations and the fleeting nature of the natural world.

In addition to his Nimbus and Iconoclouds series, Smilde has also explored other elements of atmosphere and light through large-scale rainbow projections and other cloud-based installations. These installations often interact with architectural spaces, transforming them into immersive environments where light, color, and form come together to reflect on the impermanence of the physical world. His work challenges viewers to think about the relationship between space, light, and time, encouraging a deeper understanding of the atmospheric qualities that surround us.

Smilde's artistic journey continues to evolve, as he experiments with new ways of blending nature with art to create compelling visual experiences. His work resonates with people on a deep, emotional level, as it touches on universal themes of impermanence, change, and the beauty of the present moment. Through his unique approach to clouds and atmospheric art, Berndnaut Smilde invites us to reconsider our understanding of time and space, urging us to embrace the fleeting nature of our existence and appreciate the beauty that exists within the temporary.