FAN

HUA

Teahouse – Relational Aesthetics

This artwork focuses on the Chinese habit of drinking hot water, exploring the interaction between water, culture, and interpersonal relationships. Based on relational aesthetics, the project presents an intercultural perspective that highlights the deep social and historical context behind a daily practice.

 

The habit of drinking hot water in China seems to have ancient roots, but it actually stems from a sanitary campaign in the 1950s. Since that time, the government has promoted the idea that drinking hot water could improve public hygiene, a practice that has become deeply embedded in Chinese culture, transforming into a symbol of daily life and well-being. The artwork uses this phenomenon to question the evolution of cultural ideas and the collective perception of health and lifestyles.

The installation recreates the atmosphere of a traditional Chinese teahouse, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in an experiential environment that celebrates tea culture. In China, tea is not merely a beverage but a fundamental medium for social and cultural exchange. To enhance this intercultural experience, tea leaves and melon seeds—traditional symbols—were purchased from a Chinese supermarket in Cagliari, Sardinia, adding authenticity to the scene.

During the tea tasting experience, visitors are invited to reflect on and discuss when and why, in their culture, people drink hot water. This interaction not only stimulates intercultural dialogue but also leads to a profound reflection on cultural awareness and behaviors related to their lifestyles.

 

Another layer of exploration in the artwork concerns the relationship between language and culture. The Chinese language, with its free structure and reliance on implicit interpretation, reflects the Eastern philosophy of the “unsaid.” By reconstructing the teahouse scene, the artwork reveals how the tradition of “brewing tea and discussing” has facilitated the exchange of thoughts and the continuity of knowledge. In Chinese culture, the teahouse is not just a place for refreshment but a meeting point for knowledge, a space where information and ideas are often transmitted in subtle ways.

This artwork aims, through the reconstruction of a cultural space like the teahouse and the direct interaction between visitors and the context, to explore how culture moves, adapts, and transforms in different geographical and linguistic contexts. It is not merely a reproduction of Chinese tea culture or the habit of drinking hot water but a profound reflection on understanding and intercultural interaction.

鼠标轨迹粒子效果