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At ICD Brookfield Place in Dubai, a vibrant collection of smiling inflatables sprouts from a vaulted ceiling, creating a suspended pool party of colorful forms. The spirited installation is titled “Under the Sun” and the latest project by duo Craig & Karl.

“We wanted to capture the warmth, vibrancy, and joy of summer—distilled into one space and experienced from within the expansive summer garden atrium. A way to bring the season indoors,” the pair write about the project. Included in the installation are hot-weather staples like flowers, beach balls, inner tubes, and of course, a radiant sun.

The immersive work is a new installment in Craig & Karl’s Mateys universe, populated by a vivid array of inflatable characters. Whether springing up on a bridge or dangling from the ceiling as in Dubai, the expressive forms infuse oft-overlooked architecture with play and whimsy.

Although the duo live in different cities—Craig in New York and Karl in London—they continue to collaborate across continents, allowing projects to “unfold as a two-way conversation from the initial idea through to completion, with each of us throwing things out, building on the other’s ideas, and knowing when something feels right.” This collaboration works, in part, because the artists met while in college and spent a considerable time in the same studio, securing a bond and trust in another that’s indelible to their current practice.

Keep up with Craig & Karl and their globe-trotting projects on Instagram.

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