interactive and immersive installation,

Kube gallery, poole, u.k

4-24 nov. 2009.

way of tea – an art of conviviality is an inter-active and immersive installation that examines philosophic and aesthetic ideas of the japanese tea ceremony, properly known as ‘the way of tea’ (sado): evolving them beyond cultural specificity through personal engagement and phenomenological process of the artists involved.

way of tea - an art of conviviality involves multiple technology and sensory inputs, sound, smell, visual, tactile and taste. It uses inter-active devices incorporating sensors, to create a very personal, intimate, contemporary artistic and cultural experience.

conception and direction

ajaykumar

in collaboration with

akiko ban

andre amalio

daniel somerville

gudmundur ingi thorvaldsson

takashi nishida

tereza havlickova

curation

jem main

in collaboration with

ania bas

sound

rob palmer

visual documentation

denis roberts

supported by all staff of kube

details of way of tea - an art of conviviality

the installation explores the mystic ways and meanings of human ‘relational being’, which stems from a key concept in Buddhism.

the tea ceremony in structure and architectural terms could be comprised of three integral elements: the tea garden and its pathway (roji), the tea house (chashitsu) and the ceremony itself which could be said to be an art of conviviality between host and guest.

the walk through the garden is a vital stage of preparation for entering the house and participating in the ceremony. While the tea ceremony may be very elaborate, involving many elements, ultimately it is not the objects that are of essential importance, but the experience – the conviviality enjoyed – that is the art. In this sense the spectator and the nature of her/his spectatorship becomes a part of the art.

ajaykumar leads the 8 group to host a contemporary tea garden, house and ceremony with dorset spectators as guests.

this work is at the centre of a rich programme of events at kube, concerning culture and philosophy inspired by asia. this asia-related cultural activity is education and community focused, as well as aspiring to develop inter-faces with artists in the dorset area, across a range of media.

the installation itself involves a collaboration with local composer rob palmer, commissioned to generate an original sound score that is also a response to the architecture of the gallery.

hot news

denis roberts’ inspiring photographic engagement with the project is to be soon viewable online as a slide show.

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way

of

tea - an art of conviviality