Dutch artist Berndnaut Smilde created a cloud in No 1 Waitan Yuan, one of the oldest buildings on the Bund in Shanghai, on Sept 11 to mark the opening of the Art on the Bund 2025 International Art Festival, which runs through Nov 26.

Known internationally as the cloudmaker, Smilde started the Nimbus project in 2012, by creating miniature clouds with water and smoke in a diverse array of indoor locations worldwide, from cathedrals and galleries to coal mines. These clouds could exist for no more than a few seconds, just enough time to be photographed. The transient beauty and rich metaphorical meaning makes each location unique.

"It's a beautiful building," Smilde said of No 1 Waitan Yuan, which was once home to the British Consulate in Shanghai.

"I like the architecture here, the details, the colors, the contrast between the inside and the outside, the new and the old, and also the nature and culture that represents this location."

It has been 10 years since Smilde last presented his creation in Shanghai. "In this 10 years lots of things have changed... you could say we have grown," he added.

"I also see Shanghai is growing in time. It's very impressive to be back here to see the quality and scale of the art institutions on the Bund."

Now that digital technology has brought drastic changes to the contemporary art scene, Smilde believes "it is even more important to make a real cloud.

"With AI, you don't know what reality is anymore. For me, it is really important to have the physical aspect of the cloud and the documentation of something that's truly taken place in this location. It is always there for real."

This year's Art on the Bund festival consists of more than 60 exhibitions presented by over 30 institutions. Among the most anticipated are the Salvador Dali exhibition that showcases 149 original works by the Spanish artist at City Hall Plaza, home to the former municipal government on the Bund.