Nimbus De Hallen
Nimbus De Hallen
Nimbus De Hallen
By Berndnaut Smilde
Nimbus De Hallen
Nimbus De Hallen
Nimbus De Hallen
A timeless cloud floats inside the 17th-century Vleeshal (‘Meat Hall’), part of Frans Hals Museum – Hal. With not a touch of Photoshop in sight, this bizarre image is in fact a real cloud, made by artist Berndnaut Smilde; a special photographic work resulting from a labour-intensive process. “First I make sure that the room is as cool as possible. Then I humidify the air by distributing fine water droplets,” explains Smilde. “Next, I let a smoke machine spray a cloud into the room, which can usually only remain for a few seconds on the water’s mist. This keeps me busy for a few days, and we take hundreds of photos of these numerous attempts in order to get the ultimate image. What interests me is the elusiveness of clouds. Surprise is important to me. And everyone can see or project what he or she wants.” For Smilde, it is the final photo that is the work of art, not the short-lived performance of the cloud.