Cloud Formation, NGV Triennial

Exhibited at the NGV Triennial 2020, Cloud Formations is a spatial installation by Danish architect Cecilie Bendixen that captures the fluid, fleeting beauty of natural phenomena. Suspended among the gallery’s 19th and 20th-century collections, the four voluminous textile clouds required a lighting solution that was as ethereal and precise as the sculptures themselves.

Commissioned to illuminate the work from within, ILANEL designed and manufactured a bespoke system nicknamed the "Spiderlights." Engineered to integrate seamlessly with the delicate, hand-stitched structure, each fixture features a central washer with six malleable steel wire legs. This custom design allows the lights to be securely "stood" or hooked into the cloud’s inner threads without casting shadows or damaging the fabric.

Finished in a Two-Pack Satin White, the hardware disappears completely into the textile, allowing the dimmable LEDs to create a soft, internal glow that mimics the interaction of sunlight and moisture. Following the success of the NGV debut, the studio has continued to collaborate with Bendixen, supplying this specialised lighting solution for subsequent commissions in Beirut, Norway, and the Ivory Coast.

See NGV Cloud Formations here.