Sayaka Abe served indigo tea grown together with participants from Fukuroda Psychiatric Hospital #袋田病院 of Japan in her project. Where guests tasted tea in the indigo coloured mesquite net, exchanged their thoughts and shared personal experiences with a large group of international, diverse guests in the hottest queer cultural hub of Amsterdam.

-About text of the work, please see in the below text-

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“Japan Blue” - Traveling Tea House - is a project of the Artist in Residency of Fukuroda Psychiatric Hospital #袋田病院 together with Het Vijfde Seizoen made possible by DutchCulture, Netherlands Embassy in tokyo, kunstuitleen | galerie Beeldend Gesproken

With special thanks to
Sexyland World, Bas Valckx Suzanne Oxenaar, Esther Vossen ,Keiko Watanabe,Uehara Kouo, Ian Yang ,Maiko Sato, Jan hoek joh, Simomo_bouj, Liza Nijhuis,@rainbowsoulclub @hanslooijen, Museum van de Geest all people who I interviewed in the project and my family & friends.
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Text about work
From 2022, Japanese artist @sayakasweeneyabe started the project “Japan Blue”- Traveling Tea House -. As there were at the time strong Covid restriction, many meetings took place online. In digital communication you experience limited senses: just your ears and eyes. From that experience, Sayaka was wondering whether reduced external input has changed our body and mind. And if so, how can we restore the balance and function of our five senses?

In response to this question, together with patients and staff of the psychiatric clinic Fukuroda Hospital near Tokyo, she began a collaborative art project. With a group of participants, she grew indigo plants in the institution’s gardens. Indigo is used as a dye for fabrics and for brewing tea. After harvesting, participants dyed cotton and silk with their own indigo.

With the colored materials, the artist created a space inspired by the customs of a traditional teahouse and mosquito net. Before entering the teahouse, you leave personal belongings and status-related items outside. Traditionally a mosquito net had to be made by a woman of the house with hand-sewing by one day, otherwise it was bad luck. Therefore women came and worked together, and when they managed to make a mosquito net they celebrated and had a party in the mosquito net. The mosquito net was also used to be dyed by indigo for protection from insects and evil spirits. This way, you can meet each other personally and sincerely.