That waterslide curling off the deck of Maldivian overwater villas? Soneva invented the trend, and now one has been reimagined as a sculpture by Swedish contemporary artist Jacob Felländer. The piece, part of a project called Soneva x Jacob Felländer: Joy Takes Form, was unveiled on 23 September at Slakthusområdet, Stockholm's old Meatpacking District, in a one-night event for longtime guests and friends of the brand.
The sculpture plays with time as much as shape. It flows through three materials: weathered metal standing in for the past, a mirrored surface catching the present, and a lighter final layer looking to the future. Chefs Adam Dahlberg and Albin Wessman matched the mood with a menu built around three elements tied to Soneva's island resorts — Earth for the jungle of Soneva Fushi, Water for Soneva Jani, Air for the remote Soneva Secret — with a final course listed only as Whimsy.
Soneva CEO Neil Gallagher framed it simply: the slide was never just a slide, it's a reminder that luxury should make you feel something. Felländer, who calls the collaboration ongoing, sees it as part of a bigger conversation between hospitality, art and design — and proof that play belongs in high-end travel.
There are two ways to catch it. The installation stays at Slakthusområdet until 31 December 2026, so a Stockholm trip before year-end doubles as a free art stop. And from 12 to 24 November 2026, Felländer takes up residence at Soneva Fushi as a Soneva Star, running guest workshops on creativity and intuition. If you've ever wanted your Maldives trip to include an art masterclass with an ocean view, that's your window.
Elsewhere in the Maldives this month: Kuda Villingili Resort was Highly Commended for Best Long-Haul Family Stay at the Family Traveller Awards 2026, thanks to smart touches like multi-bedroom villas with separate entrances, a kids' club on its own beach, and beginner surf lessons at the Baby Chickens break. Cora Cora Maldives in Raa Atoll has reopened on schedule after planned island rehabilitation works, just ahead of its fifth anniversary on 1 October. And at Villa Nautica, Danish couple Frank and Heike Reestorff marked their 25th anniversary by getting married underwater at Maagiri Reef, complete with engraved wooden plaques for their vows and bubbles rising around a heart-shaped frame — with two friends who'd only just learned to dive joining them below.
Why care? Because together these stories show where Maldivian luxury is heading: less formality, more personality. Whether that means a slide hung in a gallery, resorts designed for grandparents and toddlers alike, or a wedding at 12 metres, the islands are leaning into experiences you can't get anywhere else.
