the in between
Tessel schmidt
The In Between is an intriguing projection lasting 3 minutes and 26 seconds. In this work, you are introduced to freediver Judith de Waard, who slowly descends to 5 meters below the water’s surface. In real time, she holds her breath for 3 minutes, while her body battles the contractions caused by the buildup of CO₂ in her blood.
This work is best experienced with its soundscape:
AUDIOTOUR
The In Between: A Breathless Encounter Underwater
What happens when you deliberately interrupt the natural rhythm of breathing in and out? The freediver balances mentally and physically between life and death, caught in a moment of absolute focus and stillness. How long can she interrupt this rhythm, and where is the limit?
The In Between invites the viewer to explore this boundary and reflect on both the vulnerability and strength of the human body.
Tessel Schmidt
Tessel Schmidt (1983, NL) is a video artist who transforms everyday scenes into intriguing worlds. Through macro landscapes made from ordinary materials, she opens doors to larger, unexpected universes. Her work often captures people on the edge of their endurance or in a state of apparent stillness. She explores the space between life and death, between the microscopic and the immense. This in-between zone is simultaneously uncanny and familiar, alienating and mundane, challenging the viewer to reconsider their perception.
In 2022, Tessel completed a Master of Fine Art: Lens-Based Media at the Piet Zwart Institute in Rotterdam. Before that, she earned a BA and MA in Film Dramaturgy at Utrecht University. With 15 years of experience as a video maker in the cultural sector, she combines technical expertise with artistic depth. Tessel is based in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
ALIVE THROUGH THE EYES OF THE ARTIS
The In Between seamlessly aligns with the festival theme Alive, as it explores the fragile boundary between life and death. In this work, freediver Judith de Waard embodies a profound stillness beneath the water’s surface while holding her breath – an act that balances her between vitality and the edge of mortality. This state of suspension reflects the universal tension between existence and non-existence, inspired by a personal experience: the euthanasia of my father-in-law. A week before his passing, he described his feeling as “between life and death,” a thought that profoundly shaped this work.
For me, Alive is about the delicate, fleeting essence of existence – the breath we hold, the choices we make, and the moments that remind us of our impermanence. This work invites viewers to experience the quiet beauty and weight of life, even when it teeters on the edge.
