The world seems to be bursting at the seams and we keep reacting to it at lightning speeds. Players in a cosmic-sized field of emotions, we are quick to snap at a misplaced comment, quicker at checking notifications pinging in our black boxes, and dizzyingly multitask, all the time, all at once, even when we don't have to. At odds with our conditioning to succeed, pausing is often misunderstood, isn't it?

This brings to mind Viktor E Frankl's words from the 'Man's Search for Meaning': "Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." As creatives, do we carve these spaces for ourselves? Pauses are guides to providence—which brings us to this week's dispatch: Our opinion highlights the role of brick in the Barbican Art Gallery's ongoing exhibition,

'The Imaginary Institution of India: Art 1975-1998', where it galvanises moments of pause across the exhibits by Indian artists on themes of love, religion, community and protest. Inspired by the archaeological sites and resilient history of Jordan, the Folly Mojave retreat invites pause and reflection. Delfina Foundation curator Erin Li reflects on the years-long process of curating Moe Satt's show, from studio visits to slow observation. Our interview with æquo gallery's founder and creative director delineates their ethos of celebrating and showcasing on the global stage, the richness of Indian design, handcrafts and the generational skills of artisans.

A quiet, enriched power, to pause, to hesitate, to introspect. A privilege. An intention. A necessity?