In many cultures, horses were used as the weapon of choice for warfare throughout millennia. Roles such as these led horses to symbolize with courage, chivalry, discovery and social status in art history through countless mediums.

The horse in the exhibition has been a prop at Berndnaut’s studio for years that led to various ideas and was at the beginning of his Nimbus works, among others.

In the Pitcairn Museum he wanted to put this horse on a pedestal, but the horse turns out to be quite timid…

Berndnaut Smilde’s work consists of installations, sculptures and photography. He explores the physical de- and reconstruction of materials; light, space, atmosphere and experience in relation to his architectural environment, creating a new moment between the realms of reality and the temporal.

Berndnaut Smilde was born in 1978 in Groningen. He currently lives and works in Amsterdam.

Smilde holds an MA from the Frank Mohr Institute, Groningen. His work resides in both the Saatchi and the Smithsonian collections among others. Smilde has been written about extensively in art publications; additionally, his Nimbus series was recognized by TIME Magazine as one of the “Top Ten Inventions of 2012”

Selected exhibitions include:
Sinclair House Museum, Bad Homburg, GER (2023), Ronchini Gallery, London, (solo) (2022),

World Expo, Netherlands Pavilion, Dubai, UAE (2021-2022) Museum gegenstandsfreier Kunst, Otterndorf, GER (solo) (2021) Stavanger Art Museum, NO (2020), The Armory Show, New York (solo) (2018)