The National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute (NTCRI) at Caotun Township, Nantou County, will be holding a special exhibition, titled "The Aesthetics Lifestyle of Tea Feast (席開春來花弄影-110年創意茶空間展)," during the Lunar New Year holidays from Feb. 13 to 16, to explore the potentials of tearooms.
The exhibition is comprised of four sections.
The first section, "The Visual Aesthetics of Tea Feast (I)," is an installation view of tea ceremony, which explores the unconstrained aspect of the aesthetics of tea ceremony. By making use of multifaceted tea utensils and applying greater freedom to separate the lines from the smooth surfaces, the motionless display of tearooms can also serve as a form of installation art. Situated at the dividing line between the West and the East, the old and the new, quality and quantity, artists nowadays not only redefine the interplay between a tearoom and its utensils, but also refine the aesthetics of modern tea ceremony through more diversified forms of artistic presentation.
The second part, "Light -The Visual Aesthetics of Tea Feast (II)," on the other hand, addresses the role that light plays in the aesthetics of tea ceremony, such as the perception of the color "black," which, despite creating a heavy impression, can also be lighter than the wind.
The third section, "History and Fashion," focuses on the history and forms of tea ceremony. Despite defying traditional norms, modern artists still emphasize the need to retain the artistic and visual richness found in the history of tea ceremony. Tradition needs not imply being beholden to old forms of expression, but rather, can entail upholding quality standards while still maintaining one's unique personality. By clothing the spirit of the old with modern apparel, this part of the exhibition intends to highlight the many-layered visual aesthetics of tearooms.
The final part of the exhibition will convey the way in which mundane elements are given new life and meaning through thoughtful space arrangements in the tearoom.
In addition to the special exhibition, the NTCRI will be integrating tea culture activities with traditional Lunar New Year festivities, including tea making and tea drinking, among others, as entertainments.