The ultimate escape is the illusion, and the ultimate illusion is the one which affects all five senses. The mythological circus was no stranger to this notion, and often offered side tents which delivered such immersive experiences: from the hall of mirrors to proto-cinema, the circus was one of the first distillers of the “experience” as it is perceived in the contemporary discourse on design. The Black Boxes of Jerusalem Design Week offer a series of experiences which stem from the territories of escapism – the cult of the body, the cinema, the club, nature, nostalgia and others – by distilling them to their sensory essence. By reframing and detaching them from their original contexts, the black boxes refocus our gaze on design as the generator of the escapist experience.