INTERLUDE: In Between is Now | Dubai 2025
Dubai Design Week | November 4 - 9, 2025
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ArtKōrero and Therme Art proudly present INTERLUDE: In Between Is Now, an immersive installation by Swiss-born, New York–based artist and experience designer Annabelle Schneider, debuting at Dubai Design Week 2025.
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The installation invites visitors into an intimate, multi-sensory environment designed to restore calm, connection, and collective balance amid the intensity of contemporary life.
Following its acclaimed presentations at Art Basel Switzerland, recognition at the NYCxDESIGN Awards, and its distinction as a German Design Award 2026 winner, this newly expanded iteration of INTERLUDE: In Between Is Now transforms its Dubai setting into a living, breathing sanctuary—where art, architecture, and the science of wellbeing converge.
In an age defined by acceleration and sensory overload, INTERLUDE offers a sanctuary for stillness and awareness. The installation invites visitors into a soft, cocooned space designed to restore calm and connection amid the intensity of contemporary life.
Conceived as a “third space” — neither spectacle nor retreat — INTERLUDE bridges ritual, reflection, and reconnection. It redefines spatial design by merging physical and virtual realms, integrating technology with tactile elements to evoke belonging, comfort, and emotional balance.
PUBLIC WELLNESS SESSIONS HELD IN INSTALLATION
RENDERINGS
ABOUT THE INSTALLATION
The soft installation represents an ethereal cocoon, a responsive, inflatable structure that breathes with subtle shifts of light, sound, and scent. Inside, visitors are invited into an experience of slowed rhythm and shared presence.
Merging principles of sound therapy, sensorial design, and embodied movement, the installation supports nervous system regulation and emotional wellbeing. As a living organism of calm within the rush of contemporary life, INTERLUDE offers a gentle counterpoint to overstimulation and urban acceleration; A space to pause, breathe, and reconnect.
CULTURAL CONTEXT AND COLLABORATION
The presentation of INTERLUDE: In Between Is Nowat Dubai Design Week marks a major moment in the UAE’s evolving dialogue around design for wellbeing and human-centered environments.
Through this partnership, Therme Art — the cultural incubator of Therme Group — supports this vision by advancing its mission to promote physical and mental wellbeing through art and architecture that invites reflection, connection, and a renewed sense of balance.
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“INTERLUDE: In Between is Now is a response to a world that feels increasingly fast, loud and disembodied. In the midst of this sensory overload, I believe desig must slow us down — not through silence, but through depth. Multi-sensory spaces engage more than just the eye — they awaken memory, sensation, and presence. This project is a quiet manifesto for spatial experience and for designing with and for the whole body — where touch, sound, scent, and breath become tools for inclusion, connection, and well-being.”
Annabelle Schneider, Artist & Designer
“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Annabelle and Therme Art in bringing INTERLUDE: In Between Is Now to the region,” said Chimere Cissé from ArtKōrero. “The installation reflects our vision to champion artists whose work pushes the boundaries between experience, technology, and sensorial design. It’s about creating spaces that remind us of our shared humanity in a time of fragmentation.”
“INTERLUDE: In Between Is Now reflects Therme Art’s ongoing commitment to promoting art experiences that place physical and mental wellbeing at their core, creating immersive environments that restore balance to the mind and senses. We are pleased to collaborate with Annabelle Schneider and ArtKōrero in presenting this work at Dubai Design Week, furthering the Group’s shared vision of wellbeing for all.” - John White, Managing Director, Therme Art.
INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
Since its inception, INTERLUDE: In Between Is Now has garnered international acclaim. The work has been honored by the NYCxDESIGN Awards 2025, won the German Design Award 2026, and shortlisted for the Swiss Design Prize 2025, with coverage in Dezeen, Designboom, La Vanguardia, or NZZ Bellevue.
CREDITS
Event Partner: Dubai Design Week 2025
Date: November 4 - 9, 2025 | Dubai Design District (D3), UAE
Location: Building Atrium 7 - Dubai Design District
Category: Immersive Experience for connection and well-being
Concept, Design + Imagery: Annabelle Schneider
Fabrication Inflatable: Luft & Laune GmbH
Scent Design: FOVET by LUZI
Soundscape: LAF
Pillow Design: Annabelle Schneider
PRESENTED BY
Cultural Partner: Therme Art
Press: ArtKorero
Press Contact: info@artkorero.com