May 20, 2017, 7:30-9:30 pm | RSVP HERE
with the Skywatchers Ensemble and Melanie DeMore
Tenderloin National Forest (509 Ellis St.)
About Rolling Counterpoint
Rolling Counterpoint was developed by the artist while he was in residence at Montalvo’s Lucas Artists Residency Program in 2016. The project consists of two structures: a mobile teahouse and a stationary structure installed outdoors on Montalvo Arts Center™s 175-acre public park. In both teahouses, the artist shares tea with guests and engages them in discussion about their experiences and their concerns, giving participants a platform to share their perspectives. Guests have included members of the public, representatives from local organizations, thought-leaders, community organizers, and more. These conversations are being recorded and posted (along with participants’ artwork) as part of an interactive archive on the project website: rollingcounterpoint.com. Click here to watch one of Taro’s conversations: Historically, the Japanese teahouse served as a space for contemplation and communion with others. According to Hattori, “in 16th-century Japan, against the backdrop of civil war, tea masters became political go-betweens while teahouses served as radically egalitarian spaces of nonviolence and provided opportunities for rational discourse, conviviality, political consensus and peace. Using this history as a point of departure, I am reimagining the teahouse as a generative space where guests can share stories and experiences, address conflict, foster understanding, and imagine new ways of being together. I am interested in using my teahouse as a platform to connect and bridge diverse and often disconnected communities–bringing them together around shared conversation.” “Today more than ever, there is a pressing need for spaces where difficult conversation can take place and new strategies for productively dissecting the issues that divide us can be developed,” said Montalvo Curator Donna Conwell, who has worked closely with Hattori on coordinating every phase of the project. She continued: “Places for bravely raising important questions like What does belonging mean in the US today? How can we move past divisiveness to find more peaceful and respectful ways of being together? What does it mean to create spaces of inclusion? How do we promote a sense of cultural empathy? Addressing such questions feels especially urgent.” SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING EVENTS The public is invited to drop in for tea and conversation with Hattori and make their voices heard. Guests will also engage in art-making activities related to the major themes of the project. DATES AND LOCATIONS
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