Breathe with Pilatus a Quiet Retreat Above the Clouds

How I Left Everyday Life Behind Above the Clouds

People who travel to Mount Pilatus usually look for panoramic views, movement or a mountain experience. With the installation Breathe with Pilatus, artist Annabelle Schneider has created a place that focuses on something entirely different: retreat, silence and inward attention.

I lie on my back while video projections move slowly across the soft cloud-like walls above me. Outside, the mountain wind may be cold and rough, but inside the atmosphere changes immediately. The music is calm and atmospheric, filling the room almost completely.

During my first visit to Breathe with Pilatus, I quickly lost my sense of time and space. The combination of moving images, sound and the muted environment creates a state that feels far removed from everyday life. It is not a typical mountain attraction, but rather a concentrated moment of slowing down.

Photographing a Quiet Space

What fascinated me most photographically was how reduced the installation feels while remaining visually powerful at the same time. Light, projection, material and space constantly shift and interact. The resulting image series does not focus on the mountain panorama itself, but on a quiet and immersive experience inside the space.

Photographically accompanying this project was a special experience for me. Not because it is loud or spectacular, but because it demands attention: to light transitions, movement, bodies within the room and the subtle atmosphere created by the installation.

My Suggestions for Your Visit

• Keep your phone away: The installation becomes much more immersive when you avoid distractions.
• Take your time: Close your eyes for a moment, listen to the soundscape and arrive in the room before focusing on the projections.
• Observe slowly: The projections constantly change, and many visual moments only appear with patience.

Transparency

This article is not a sponsored post. I had the opportunity to photographically accompany Breathe with Pilatus, and I am grateful to Annabelle Schneider for the trust and collaboration.

Sometimes I also return to Pilatus without a camera, leaving the equipment behind and simply using the cloud installation as a quiet place to pause.