‘Meet Me at the Upside Down Table’ Tyler Moorehead, 2018.

Tea experience inspired by Japanese tea ceremonies and board game play. The installation and experience draw on the 1906 english text Book of Tea, by Okakura Kakuzo advising citizens to ‘cherish their unpolished selves’.

Encounters are designed as shared reflections to encourage empathy and appreciation of a stranger over a cup of tea. The method translated the 4 guiding principles of Japanese tea ceremonies: harmony, respect, purity and tranquility, into a form of ritual play.

Sessions were guided by table cards at each position, providing a structure for guests to progress their reflections.

Benches were designed so cause guests and hosts to rise and sit simultaneously in order to ensure the stability of the shared seat.

At the end of the session, guests selected a ribbon and entered a reflection room to leave a message for future guests.

Meet Me at the Upside Down Table is a reference to displacing tablecloths to uncover both tables and truths. With the sting of protocol and discipline removed, the role of pristine, hard starched tablecloths is to hang idly as sculptures or as bench supports and do no harm.

Photos: Bernadette Baksa