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Ya Ji

The concept of Ya Ji ("雅集") draws from a rich historical tradition in Chinese culture, where scholars, poets, and artists gather to partake in intellectual and artistic exchange. This refined assembly serves as a moment to celebrate creativity, culture, and collaboration.

Set against the modern backdrop of the Grotto Gallery, nestled within a local residential neighborhood, the project invites conversations between local and foreign cultures, elegance, and creativity, stimulating fresh avenues of exchange. This innovative project blends artistic styles, drawing from both traditional and contemporary influences.

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Central to the project is an improvised Chinese tea ceremony and Guqin performance, two practices deeply intertwined with meditation and cultural depth. These traditions are paired with tea wares reimagined and created by local ceramic artist Sandra Berighanu, who reinterprets the more conventional tools used in tea ceremonies, imbuing them with a unique contemporary twist.

The performance space is designed like a theatre setting, with architectural details that juxtapose the tangible simplicity of the tea ceremony and the delicate nature of the Guqin. This dynamic creates a rich contrast, elevating the sensory experience of both the performers and the audience.

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The collision of cultures, artistic forms, and creative processes within the project results in a powerful assembly of art and cultural dialogue. Remarkably, the public's level of engagement exceeded expectations. Despite the physical limitations of the gallery's space, with the performance separated from the audience by a glass wall, the sound of the Guqin music transcended the boundaries, aided by an amplifier, creating an engaging exchange between the audience and performer, the public street space and private indoors. As the assembly came to a close in the fading twilight, the once-bustling public street crowded with parked cars returned to its quiet, everyday rhythm, leaving behind the subtle but lasting trace of cultural exchange.

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