To drown in clouds in French

For the past five years, the Trading Exchange space has showcased premier examples of contemporary art from the collection of François Pinault, the founder of Kering and current owner of Christie’s auction house. From its opening, the exchange immediately became a significant hub for contemporary art. For instance, last year hosted the remarkable project «clinamen» by Céleste Bursche-Muzeno, which drew considerable attention.

This summer, the work of Japanese artist Fujiko Nakaya is featured—she constructs sculptures from mist by merging technology and art. In the mid-1960s, the artist abandoned painting, becoming passionate about not depicting fog, but creating it. It wasn’t until 1969, in collaboration with engineer Thomas Mi, that a specialized system was developed to generate artificial fog clouds from the finest water droplets. Her first piece was displayed the following year at the World Expo, where the mist preceded the Pepsi pavilion.

Since then, the artist has been creating translucent clouds that envelop buildings and exhibition spaces. The sculpture’s title, «Cloud #07156,» references the meteorological station nearest the Stock Exchange. In this work, Fujiko is interested in the interaction between fog and Tadao Ando’s rotunda, drawing our attention to spatial emptiness. The artist—who is known for her interactive models—invites the viewer to walk through the piece to experience it rather than just observe it. When you walk through the cloud made by this Japanese artist in Paris, you startle and feel something special. Such a delicate work cannot help but captivate with its sensuality and mystery.