A high power laser beam illuminates the vapour emission of a power plant near Helsinki, Finland, turning the smoke into a city scale neon sign.

"Nuage Vert" or "Green Cloud", as this unusual eco-visualization concept is called, was a 2008 art installation by French duo HeHe (Helen EVANS and Heiki HANSEN).

The installation used laser tracking to project a green illumination onto vapour emissions from the 155 m high chimney of the Salmisaari coal-burning power plant. The illumination adjusts its shape and size to the contours of the vapour, reflecting the electrical consumption of residents in Ruoholahti and neighbouring Lauttasaari. During the week long installation - from February 22 to February 29 - local residents were asked to consume less, unplug their electrical appliances, and then watch the green cloud shrink.

[© Kate ANDREWS - more images of this shape-changing “nuage vert” can be found at www.inhabitat.com]