One hundred and fifty of Andy Warhol’s mesmerizing Silver Clouds are floating towards the Washington, DC region for the first time and with your help will land at Artisphere in Arlington, Virginia on September 12. This uplifting installation defies the traditional perceived constrictions of art as the Silver Clouds interact with you and each other, tumbling and bumping throughout the space. This is an installation that invites response and ignites a sense of wonder. By joining us in this campaign, you are helping connect thousands to a truly transcendent arts experience by the legendary Andy Warhol.

First exhibited in 1966 at the Leo Castelli Gallery in New York, Silver Clouds has at its origin, the then groundbreaking intersection of art and technology. In 1964, artist Andy Warhol reached out to Bell Labs electrical engineer Billy Klüver:

“At the 47th Street factory, Andy Warhol asked me for a floating light bulb. My colleague at Bell Laboratories found a material called Scotchpak, which was relatively impermeable to helium and could be heat-sealed. When I brought this material to Andy, he decided to make clouds, and while we were figuring out how to heat-seal curves, he simply folded the material over and made these Silver Clouds.”
 – Billy Klüver, The Story of E.A.T. Experiments in Art and Technology, 1960–2001 [1]

Klüver founded Experiments in Art and Technology, or E.A.T. – an early forum for bringing artists and scientists together. This connection between creativity and innovation is at the core of Silver Clouds’ origins and central to Artisphere’s focus on connecting you to artists at the forefront of utilizing new technologies in their work.

Be part of bringing Andy to Artisphere and walk amongst the clouds.

Admission to Artisphere, and the exhibition, is free so we need your help in raising $10,000 which will go directly towards maintaining the exhibition and keeping the helium-filled Silver Clouds afloat. To thank you for your support, we have developed a range of perks to enhance your experience. Please consider donating and spreading the word through Indiegogo’s share tools above. In addition to monetary support, we have opportunities for you to volunteer and donate your time.


Andy Warhol: Silver Clouds will be on view in Artisphere's 4,000 sq. ft. Terrace Gallery from Thursday, September 12 to Sunday, October 20, 2013. To accommodate more viewers, our Friday hours will be extended to noon to 11pm. A free public opening reception will be held on Thursday, September 12 from 7:30 to 10pm. Admission to Artisphere and its galleries is free.

Reproduction, including downloading of Andy Warhol works is prohibited by copyright laws and international conventions without the express written permission of Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

[1] La Prade, Erik, “The Early Days of E.A.T.,” IEEE Multimedia, vol. 9, no. 2 (April-June 2002): pp.  4-5. Please note that the quote attributed to Klüver is from his unpublished book The Story of E.A.T. Experiments in Art and Technology 1960–2001.