S1.E2 | Fog
Follow this link for a transcript of this episode.
Co-Hosts: Maren Loveland and Lutz Koepnick
Join us for Art of Interference’s second episode, which takes a closer look at the fascinating phenomenon of fog. In this episode, we delve into the work of Fujiko Nakaya, a Japanese artist whose unique fog sculptures have been exhibited around the world. These sculptures are not tangible objects, though—instead, they are carefully designed systems which strategically release fog amidst various landscapes, architectures, and crowds of people. The result is a sculpture which you can walk through and interact with, while also witnessing how the fog changes and shifts in response to weather, temperature, sound, and other factors.
Maren and Lutz visited one of Nakaya’s exhibits at the Haus der Kunst Museum in Munich, Germany, and we share our respective experiences of her work throughout the episode. Additionally, we talk with Haus der Kunst curators Sara Theuer and Andrea Lissoni who helped design the flow and structure of the exhibit, which features both indoor and outdoor fog sculptures as well as other significant art pieces from Nakaya’s body of work. Finally, we also hear from the atmospheric scientist Ralf Bennartz (Vanderbilt University), who teaches us about what, exactly, fog is, and why it might be important for the climate’s uncertain future.
Like fog itself, Nakaya’s sculptures are inherently ephemeral, evolving, and mysterious pieces of art. They transform space and help us to see the world in new ways—and we hope this episode can do the same.
Click here for more about Haus der Kunst’s exhibition “Fujiko Nakaya Nebel Leben” (April to July, 2022).
For an intriguing essay about fog in art and Fujiko Nakaya’s fog sculptures, please read “The Lucid, Unclouded Fog—The Movement of Bright and Swinging Water Particles” by Kenjiro Okazaki
Find out more about Ralf Bennartz (Vanderbilt University) here.
And here a few more links for things we mention in this episode:
Anthony McCall, Line Describing a Cone (1973)
Robert Watts, David Behrman, and Bob Diamond, Cloud Music (1974-79)
Claire Bishop, Installation Art: A Critical History (London: Tate, 2008).
