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ANNABELLE SCHNEIDER

BREATHE WITH ME | An immersive Installation 

161 Water Street, 3rd Floor, WSA New York | May 16 - 23, 2024




BREATHE WITH ME, is an immersive installation conceptualized by award-winning Swiss spatial designer and Parsons educator Annabelle Schneider. Presented by the Consulate General of Switzerland at WSA NY, the cutting-edge cultural hub in Downtown Manhatten, this multi-sensorial space features new and iconic designs by LAUFEN, Luft & Laune, PIEGA, PIN–UP HOME, Schaffner, Studio Christian Wassmann, Tisca, USM Modular Furniture, Vitra, and 4Spaces ZigZagZurich, capturing the essence of Swiss design by seamlessly blending timeless beauty with modern sensibilities, inviting moments of relaxation and reflection.


>  PRESSKIT <



Experience breathable textiles synchronized with contemplative sounds and soft furnishings, meticulously crafted to positively impact both body and mind. Fabrics swell and sway to the polyrhythmic soundscape by musician Luc Oggier, mimicking soothing breathing patterns and creating an oasis in the bustling heart of Manhattan.



PROGRAMMING

We celebrated Swiss heritage, design, and innovation in a series of events set in a space to breathe, connect, and reflect. Visitors benefited from the unique opportubity to immerse themselves in BREATHE WITH ME, at WSA NY from May 17 - 23, 2024.


May 16 | 6 - 10 PM                     Press Preview + Opening-Party w/ DJ SHU-G: Invite
May 19 | 7 - 9 PM                       Listening Session w/ James K: Invite
May 17 - 23 | noon - 7 PM       Experience presented for NYCxDESIGN

May 22 | 6 PM  - 8 PM             SWISSNEX x LAUFEN Panel Talk
                                                        on Spatial Wellbeing: Invite 


“As an experience designer, it’s crucial to incorporate details that evoke a sense of safety,
familiarity, calmness, and support for individuals in hectic, overstimulated cities and events.
This approach enables me to anchor the designs and make deliberate choices in crafting forms and materials that contribute to a softer, warmer and more welcoming space”

Annabelle Schneider, Experience Designer
BREATHE WITH ME (2024)





“BREATHE WITH ME reminds people the role of sound in creating calm & freeing environments. The placement of objects present architecture as more than just walls & boundaries but thresholds into different spaces for contentment. ”


N’Dos Onochie, Architect and Yale Graduate



INSTALLATION 




“In today’s fast-paced world, achieving work-life balance is increasingly crucial as we try to navigate the relentless demands of modern life. Amidst the constant buzz of technology and external pressures, finding moments of tranquility and mental respite have become a necessity rather than a luxury. This quest for equilibrium has sparked a growing interest in neuroaesthetic design, aimed at creating environments that promote psychological well-being, alleviate stress, foster belonging, community and presence.”


Annabelle Schneider, Experience Designer
BREATHE WITH ME (2024)





PANEL TALK  | MAY 20, 2024




OPENING EVENT  | MAY 16, 2024




“Annabelle’s ethereal vision to create an immersive pranayama experience is simply beyond our times in the modern era of wellness. The fact that the inflatable bubble was controlled by two small air system fans also shows her technical brilliance in advancing the human perception and spatial design experience and getting all of us to simply breath and hold ourselves in a place of calm and tranquility, especially in a city like New York.”

Amanda Williams,
C-Medication Coach, Reiki Master, Soundhealing


Date: May 16 - 23, 2024 for NYCxDESIGN
Location: WSA NY, 161 Water Street, New York
Category: Immersive Experience
Comission for: Swiss Consulate NYC
Concept, Design + Imagery: Annabelle Schneider
Sound: Luc Oggier
Visual Identity: Piera Wolf + Stephanie Specht
Partners: WSA NY, LAUFEN, Luft+Laune, PIEGA, PIN-UP Home, Schaffner AG, Christian Wassmann, Tisca, USM, Vitra, Artek, 4Spaces ZigZagZürich
Event Guides: Dezeen, Designboom, NYCxDESIGN, Top 11 Things to see during NYCxDESIGN 2024, Designlab, Deal Town
Press: Dezeen, SRF Tagesschau, Schweizer Illustrierte, Swissnex Boston, Monocle, PinUp Home, Dezeen Instagram, Swiss Impact USA, ArchiPanic,
NoProscenium, Seen Today, IFDM, WSA, NYCxDESIGN and Eventguide NYCxDESIGN, Designlab, Meter Magazin, Fashionsnoops

NYC Scented Trashbag Candle | NYC x DESIGN x Souvenir

Oculus Manhattan | NYC x DESIGN | May 12 - 21 | 2025



Annabelle Schneider’s work has been selected for the 2025 NYCxDESIGN x Souvenir exhibition—one of the most anticipated showcases of the NYCxDESIGN Festival, celebrating 72 visionary designers who reimagine what a New York souvenir can be.

Among the playful, provocative, and poetic pieces on view, Annabelle presents her boldest commentary yet: the NYC Trashbag Candle. What looks like a glossy black garbage bag hides a secret—light it, and an unexpected golden treasure begins to emerge. A cheeky homage to the city’s grit, excess, and glamour, the piece transforms disposable culture into a moment of ritual, scent, and storytelling.

Catch this collectible object—and the city’s spirit—on view at The Canvas Gallery at the Oculus.



Date: May 12 - 21, 2025
Hours: daily from 11:00am - 7:00 pm

Opening Preview + Reception:
Thursday, May 15
10:00 am

Evening Reception:
Saturday, May 17
from 5:00 pm - 7:00pm

Address:
The Canvas at the Oculus
185 Greenwich St Ground Floor (C2)
South Concourse

 

  >> PRESSKIT  



“In a city defined by speed and excess, this candle asks us to slow down and reconsider what we consume and discard. — Trash or Treasure?  —  It’s a meditation on decay, resilience, and presence—wrapped in something playful, familiar, and strange. The NYC Trashbag Candle is a scented sculpture and a souvenir of contradiction, featuring a golden brass rat as a treasure emerging from the slow burning process.”

Annabelle Schneider, Experience Designer



NYC TRASHBAG CANDLE - A SOUVENIR OF WASTE AND WONDER
Official NYCxDESIGN Souvenir 2025 · Limited Edition Launch

Towering piles of black trash bags—stacked in chaotic yet familiar formations—define the urban fabric of New York City. The NYC Trashbag Candle is a provocative and playful reflection on capitalism, waste, and the aesthetic potential of discarded things. It poses a timely question about our patterns of consumption: Slow or fast? Treasure or trash?

Designed as both an art object and a conceptual souvenir, the candle transforms an everyday urban imprint into something intimate and precious. Its sculptural form mirrors the way garbage naturally accumulates on sidewalks—layered, imperfect, fleeting. As it burns, the candle slowly collapses, distorting the neat stack and releasing a rich fragrance that contrasts its raw appearance.

In its final stage, the candle reveals a golden metal rat—a glimmering relic of the city’s underworld and a lasting symbol of what remains when everything else has burned away.

This object is not just a candle—it’s a narrative artifact. A sensory meditation on time, speed, and presence. In a city defined by relentless motion, it offers a counterpoint: an invitation to pause, to reflect, to find warmth in stillness. A souvenir that captures the paradox of New York itself—fast and slow, chaotic and beautiful, disposable and unforgettable.








MATERIAL
The NYC Trash Bag Candle is made from soy waxes, repurposing discarded materials to give trash a second life in an unexpected form. Infused with a distinctive scent, the candle transforms perceptions of waste, engaging not only the eye but also the senses. As it burns, its sculptural layers melt and shift, releasing a fragrance that contrasts with its visual inspiration—turning an emblem of urban excess into an intimate, contemplative experience. Blurring the line between disposable and desirable, the candle becomes a paradox in itself: both repulsive and alluring, fleeting and lasting, fast and slow.


  • Candle: Black Soy-wax
  • Rat: Gold Brass
  • Fragrance Option 1: Cashmere Musk
  • Fragrance Option 2: Leather and Labdanum


DIMENSIONS

Trio Trashbag Candle:
12. 9 cm H x 18.2 cm W x 18.5 cm D
5.1’’ H x 7.2’’ W x 7.3’’ D





Date: May 15-21, 2025
Time: 11am - 7pm daily
Winner of:  NYC x DESIGN x Souvenir 
Partners: Coolhunting, Boym Partners (Exhibition Design)
Sponsored by: Kikkerland Design
Category: Things I built | Multisensorial Experience
Photography: Jurate Veceraite
Location: The Canvas at the Oculus, 185 Greenwich St Ground Floor (C2), New York City
Press: NYCxDESIGN 2025, Coolhunting

Gurtenfestival | Redesign VIP Comfort Zone

Bern, Switzerland | 2022



New Vibrations for VIP Spaces 


The 39th edition of one of Switzerland’s largerst music open-air festivals came to a brilliant end after 4 Days in mid’ July. 75,000 cumulative visitors - almost 44,000 different people (unique visitors) - livened up the “Hausberg” and enjoyed four days of sunshine and a true festival full of music, joy and party.  The return of the Gurtenfestival after 2 years of absence cannot be described as anything other than fantastic, even if such a generic adjective seems inappropriate. With splendid weather, very well attended concerts throughout, an atmosphere that cannot be described as anything other than a joyful to euphoric peaceful togetherness and various musical highlights, the 2022 edition will definitely go down in the Gurtenfestival history books. 

Musical diversity with numerous highlights
The importance of the diversity in the programme, which has often been a topic of discussion in the media in recent weeks, was only confirmed on the site - the composition of the people on and in front of the stages and the variety and breadth of the musical programme created an extraordinarily beautiful, joyful and euphoric atmosphere on the grounds. Acts like Erykha Badu, Megan Thee Stallion, Seeed, Little Simz, Balthazar, Anitta and The Chemical Brothers left a lasting impression on Bern and each other.
It was not uncommon for artists to be found in the audience of their colleagues before and after their concerts. For example, Arlo Parks and Kokoroko with Erykah Badu. The attention and responsiveness to the audience at each concert stood out: One moment a bursting full tent stage, the total demolition with Skepta - the next atmospheric devotion and devotion with Erykah Badu. Not to forget the moment on Thursday evening when the Gurtenfestival made worldwide (cultural) history and went viral: When Erykah Badu climbed the stage with Megan Thee Stallion, showed off her twerk skills and delivered, in Megan's words, "real mf texas shit, real mf hot girl shit": From Daily Mail to Complex and The Fader - they all covered this Gurtenfestival moment!
It wouldn't be Güsche if there weren't several Bärn highlights as well! Jeans for Jesus set the Waldbühne on fire, Chlyklass cleared the main stage, Sophie Hunger & Bonaparte enchanted the tent stage - and the list goes on...

A total of 64 bands played on the 4 stages, of which about 50% were Swiss bands, the female quota was also 50%. The carefully curated DJ line-up with a total of 74 acts from the three Dancetents Soundgarden (with a new building that turned the Ostsignal into a veritable club), Supermercado and Cosmodrome ensured almost continuously full dance floors already in the afternoon until 5 am. There was a surprise on Friday when "Baobab Forever" was on the programme at 9.15 pm at Soundgarden - behind the name was none
other than Nativ, who made the full Dancetent shake like there was no tomorrow.

Programme+ (plus)
The new food concept proved its worth. The visually upgraded food areas and stands were enjoyed by a large number of visitors, and the varied and diverse offer received a lot of positive feedback. The first festival-owned, purely vegan food stand in collaboration with Outlawz, the good mood food stand, not only enlivened the audience with its colourful appearance and a small water sprayer, but also with a wide selection of delicious, fresh festival classics. The afternoon beatmaking workshops by Helvetiarockt in the Soundgarden enjoyed great popularity and interest. The newly designed festival store with various merch items, including upcycled products from Rework and Bazaar, was very popular - a selection of handmade products from Bern will be available in the festival webshop from the end of July. The VIP area shone in new splendour. It was completely redesigned by Bernese designer Annabelle Schneider, also because of the new observatory located there, and invited visitors to linger in different areas.


Impressions from Festival



Wall Designs with and without Hollywood Lights


Project Process | Plans and Mock-Ups




Date: 2022
Designer Comissioned by Gurtenfestival
Category: Things I built | Redesign the Comfort Zone of Switzerland’s most beautiful Music Festival
Location: Bern, Switzerland
Press: Der Bund, Musicfestivalwizard, Swissinfo, TheStallion, Complex, The Fader, Daily Mail

BREATHE WITH ME | An immersive Installation 

Barcelona Design Week (BDW) | 24. + 25. October 2024



Annabelle Schneider’s BREATHE WITH ME installation debuts at Underground BDW, a new creative venture of Barcelona Design Week, held on October 24 and 25 in the LCI Barcelona parking.

This immersive, multi-sensorial experience blends sound, design, and mindfulness to create a serene space for reflection and calm.

First commissioned by the Consulate General of Switzerland for NYCxDESIGN, BREATHE WITH ME features sound frequencies by Swiss musician Luc Oggier, body-conforming inflated air-powered, modular system pillows by VASTO and NAKED SPACE and softening rugs by Francisco Cumellas, staged within a textile breathing ‘womb’ shaped safe space. A grounding retreat amidst the energetic pulse of Barcelona’s design community.

The experience is rooted in designing for the human future, focusing on inclusive well-being and fostering connection in a rapidly changing world.

Dates: 24. + 25. October, 2024
Hours: 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Address: Parking Alaba Street 124, LCI Barcelona Parking 



  >> PRESSKIT <<  






ABOUT SOFT ACTION WITHIN THE “BUBBLE”


Born out of a collaboration bet

ween VASTO and NAKED SPACE, SOFT ACTION is designed as an air-powered, modular system made from recyclable PVC tarpaulin in order to configure into various spatial formats for multiple interactive actions.

With a fresh collaboration with New York based artist Annabelle at this year's Barcelona Design Week, the reinstallation embraces its concept of nomadic and flexible design, transforming the new venue as it travels and challenging traditional notions of space, responding dynamically to movement, presence, and engagement.

The new iteration continues to embody the idea of shared authorship, and emphasize the power of air as a form and a function, creating an experiential dialogue that invites visitors to immerse themselves in an environment that is ever-changing, responsive, and collaborative.

The installation is a living, breathing entity where visitors become active participants, contributing to the ongoing transformation of the space. The experience invites the audience to engage with the installation as co-creators, embracing a modern power dynamic that is fluid, participatory, and communal.


RENDERINGS



IMPRESSIONS




Date: 24. + 25. October 2024 for Underground at BDW for Barcelona Designweek
Location: Parking Alaba Street 124, LCI Barcelona Parking Gallery
Category: Immersive Experience
Comissioned for: Swiss Consulate NYC (May 2024) - This is an evolution.
Concept, Design + Imagery: Annabelle Schneider
Photos: Cecilia Diaz
Sound: Luc Oggier
Supported by: LAUFEN + Consulado General de Suiza
Inflatable Pillows SOFT ACTION: VASTO x NAKED SPACE
Rugs: Francisco Cumellas
Press: Barcelona Design Week, Magazine Horse, Elastica Magazine, LCI Barcelona, Tectonica, Beteve, La Vanguardia, CC Magazine, Interiors Minimalistas, Equipamiento Hostelero, On Diseño, PobleNou Urban District, METAL Magazine, News Packaging, Studioxag,Barcelona Design Week Calendar

BREATHE WITH ME | A Wellness Sanctuary at a Music Festival

BIG: Arts + Culture Festival, Gainsville (Florida) | 11 + 12 April 2025




HOW A SENSORY SANCTUARY IS REIMAGINING CULTURE THROUGH STILLNESS AND TACTILITY 
At this year’s BIG: Culture & Arts Festival in downtown Gainesville, Florida, the pulse of creativity finds its counterbalance in the breath of calm. Amid fire breathers, DJs, fashion shows, and skate jams, one space offers a different tempo: Annabelle Schneider’s Breathe with Me, a multi-sensory installation transformed into a sanctuary of stillness—housing massages, acupuncture, yoga, and art therapy.

Curated by New York–based Swiss experience designer Annabelle Schneider, and nestled within the heart of the action, Breathe with Me doesn’t compete with the noise—it offers an antidote to it. A soft, cocoon-like environment constructed from white, inflatable textiles expands and contracts like a living organism, synchronized with breathing rhythms and ambient frequencies. It’s not just installation art; it’s a living, breathing space for rest and reconnection.


Dates: 11. + 12. April, 2025
Hours: 2:00 pm - 1:00 am
Address: Downtown Gainsville, Florida



WHY IT MATTERS

BIG, produced by curator Laila Fakhoury, is more than a festival—it’s a cultural movement redefining what community-centered arts programming looks like in Florida. In a landscape often dominated by overstimulation, the introduction of a wellness program inside a high-energy cultural festival is a radical gesture of care.

Laila, who draws from her lifelong commitment to building collective spaces, describes BIG as “experiential cultural theater.” Everything is intentional—from circus parades to indie music—but the addition of Breathe with Me marks a turning point. It demonstrates that stillness is part of the spectacle; rest is not separate from celebration—it is the heartbeat that sustains it.

This matters because cultural events are too often geared solely toward stimulation. The integration of massage, acupuncture, and mindfulness workshops into a main program speaks to a growing desire to honor the body’s need for pause in an otherwise hyper-accelerated world. It allows attendees not just to observe or consume culture, but to heal through it.



FROM FESTIVAL FEATURE TO CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Schneider’s installation is already gaining traction internationally, with past editions featured in New York, Barcelona, and Uzbekistan. But BIG introduces a new layer: it situates Breathe with Me within a deeply local and community-driven context. Here, the project becomes a tool for belonging, not just for art world insiders, but for everyone—especially those often left out of wellness conversations.

This collaboration signals future potential: Could Breathe with Me evolve into a traveling sanctuary for cultural festivals worldwide? A soft, mobile architecture that brings grounding wherever cultural intensity peaks. With adaptable programs—reiki, storytelling, sound healing, or quiet reflection—the format offers endless possibilities for future iterations.




A RADICAL ACT OF SOFTENESS

In a time where visibility, speed, and performativity often define success, Schneider and Fakhoury offer something rare: a space to slow down together. Their collaboration is a case study in how design and community organizing can merge to serve the public good—not through spectacle alone, but through intentional softness.

As Laila said in a recent interview, “If Big can help people find a new place where they can retreat at least once a year, then we’ve done our job.” With Breathe with Me, that promise isn’t just poetic—it’s embodied.





BIG: Culture & Arts Festival ran from 11-12 April, 2025 in downtown Gainesville. Breathe with Me was open throughout the weekend with scheduled wellness programming. Learn more: bigcaf.com


Date: 11. + 12. April 2025 for BIG: Arts + Culture Festival, Florida
Location: 602 S Main St, Downtown Gainsville, Florida
Category: Immersive Experience at a Music Festival
Comissioned for: BIG: Arts + Culture Festival
Concept, Design + Imagery: Annabelle Schneider
Wellness Program curated by: Shane Mc Nutt
Soft Cushions: Cordaroys - a local company that makes convertible bean bags / beds and other cushions.
Press: BIG, woo.media, Alachua County, Visit Gainsville, Gainsville Sun Events, Ocala, The independent Florida Aligator, Florida Univercity, Dion Dia Records, Mainstreet Daily News, Headfield