Cloudscapes | Climats artificiels, Paris, France
For the UN climate change summit COP21 in Paris, the EDF Corporate Foundation set up the exhibition Climats artificiels from 4 October until 28 February, 2016. Transsolar and Tetsuo Kondo Architects partnered up to realize their installation Cloudscapes as the focal piece amongst various well-known contemporary artists, showcasing their vision of climate change. All artworks present a poetic perspective on this problematic issue to counterbalance the pessimistic political negotiations ahead of us.
Camille Morineau, the exhibition manager, describes “Cloudscapes” as a place for contemplation and reflection, inviting visitors to form their own opinion about climate change. Visitors can experience a journey through and above clouds. While a world capable of recreating clouds and climate is suggested, the difference between the natural and man-made phenomenon is questioned.
“Cloudscapes” represents the collaboration between Tetsuo Kondo and Transsolar over five years. The first indoor installation was realized at the Architectural Biennale in Venice 2010, followed by exhibitions in Tokyo and Karlsruhe. Now for the first time “cloudscapes” is inside a transparent ETFE box designed for long-term mobility. The specific climatic conditions required to maintain a cloud are then independent from the exhibition space, contained in the cube, just as an artificial climate disjoint from our real environment.
Cloudscapes is now a movable artwork and more than a one-time installation, with a growing scope of exhibition opportunities.