tomás saraceno: cloud cities at hamburger bahnhof, berlin

detail of the human-sculpture interaction component of the installation in addition to the succulent-decorated structures spread through out the show tomás saraceno ‘cloud cities’, 2011 installationsansicht hamburger bahnhof © staatliche museen zu berlin; photo: tomás saraceno

tomás saraceno: cloud cities hamburger bahnhof, museum für gegenwart, berlin, germany on now until january 15, 2012

tomás saraceno‘s ‘cloud cities’ installation at hamburger bahnhof in berlin comprises a collection of geometric, inflated shapes that challenge the notions of place, space, future and gravity; saraceno seeks to explain through the exhibition how human beings live in combination with their environment. ‘cloud cities’ is an architectural piece in which the interaction between the viewer and the collection is a crucial aspect of the installation. these inflated, bubble and spider web-like gardens form communal ground between the earth and sky, aiding in the reorientation of physical representation of environmental influence.

museum patrons recline on the bubble surface portion of the dome piece tomás saraceno ‘cloud cities’, 2011 installationsansicht hamburger bahnhof © staatliche museen zu berlin; photo: tomás saraceno

as the museum-goer walks through the grand hall, each of the cloud city-pods is suspended in the air at various heights, either dotted with succulents or lined with symmetrical string patterning. two of the twenty balloons in this pseudo-biosphere have accessible public entry. the viewer may climb a ladder to tread upon the diameter on the sphere, or rest on the floor of a dome which is covered in a mossy sort of cactus; in this interaction, saraceno initiates an understanding of the interaction between humans and both air and land. the architect’s interest in utopian theory is articulated in the boundlessness of ‘cloud city’; the installation serves as a geometric stand-in for human interaction with the environment in its entirety.

detailed view water-filled weighted bubbles, used to holding the spheres in place tomás saraceno ‘cloud cities’, 2011 courtesy: tomás saraceno

view of a mathematical structure featured in the ‘cloud-cities’ collection tomás saraceno, ‘cloud cities’, 2011 installationsansicht hamburger bahnhof © staatliche museen zu berlin; photo: jens ziehe

detailed view of the cactus and water system for an environment within the piece tomás saraceno ‘cloud cities’, 2011 installationsansicht hamburger bahnhof © staatliche museen zu berlin; photo: jens ziehe