NIMBUS is a new installation of Amsterdam-based artist Berndnaut Smilde, who refuses to explain how he managed to create a real cloud.

When I shared this on Facebook, I learned this:

Smilde’s godlike powers come from simple science — he carefully regulates the temperature and humidity of the space, ensuring that conditions are perfect. Then, he sprays a short burst from a fog machine to create a cottony cloud suspended in the middle of the room for just an instant before it collapses.

Smilde’s clouds dissipate so quickly that they exist mainly in photographs. He chooses surreal spaces, such as empty churches or galleries, as his setting. One photo, taken in a room with bright blue walls, is evocative of the painter Rene Magritte’s azure skies and puffy clouds.

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Amazing.

Time Magazine named it an invention of the year: 

http://techland.time.com/2012/11/01/best-inventions-of-the-year-2012/

By balancing temperature, humidity and lighting, Dutch artist Berndnaut Smilde created a cloud in the middle of a room. Awesome.