To Share a Cup of Tea With Pierre Sernet
The world knows of the beauty of a Japanese tea ceremony: serene, harmonious, perfectly paced, and don’t forget that euphoric feeling that comes with the first sip of good quality green tea.
This tradition has been brought up for centuries, eternally conserving Japan’s zen essence. The French artist Pierre Sernet brought this ceremony to all corners of the world, in the most literal sense.
Based in New York, Pierre Sernet knows a thing or two about art: he founded one of the most important websites in the art industry, Artnet. Besides this feat, he has an extensive portfolio when it comes to exhibitions and performances. This conceptual artist began his series, titled “One”, also referred to as “Guerilla Tea”, in 2002, where he merges photography, performance art, and borders.
Sernet created a portable installation made of 12 wooden sticks which creates the “cube”, or the illusion of an enclosed room. With these sticks, a tatami mat, and a tea set, he brought this concept to life in every continent. Pierre Sernet would sit down and perform the ceremony in the company of a randomly selected guest.
The execution would be photographed from a distance, capturing the background, whether it be a busy mall in Japan, the Charles de Gaulle airport, a desert, a favela in Rio, or the Great Wall of China. Through this, he wanted the viewer to question the nature of spaces and cultures, and he also brought a lot of attention to destinations that are seldom frequented.
The charm of the pictures of “One” is absolutely timeless. Not only is the peace and impromptu friendship palpable, but the setting is breathtaking, and they feel as if they were our own memories. The intimacy of Sernet’s oeuvre pieces everything together.
About the Author:
Mizuki Khoury
Born in Montreal, based in Tokyo. Sabukaru’s senior writer and works as an artist under Exit Number Five.
