BACH AND TEA "Naardermeer Tea Hut" 13:00

A tea ceremony accompanied by cellist Gé Bartman will be performed as part of the preview of the art project “Naardermeer Tea Hut – Tea Tree, Tea Treaty.”

13:00–14:00 | BACH AND TEA – Memory of the Soil

Experience a tea ceremony accompanied by cellist Gé Bartman

Price: €15

Includes Gyokuro green tea and a Japanese delicacy

Music has the capacity to evoke profound emotional responses in people. Memories associated with such emotionally charged experiences are believed to be deeply imprinted in the human brain. In contrast, tea ceremonies tend to lead individuals to a state in which the sense of time is suspended, creating an experience in which time itself seems to dissolve into nothingness.

This study examines the effects produced when these two phenomena—operating along different perceptual and experiential vectors—occur simultaneously within the same space, and considers how their interaction may influence human perception and consciousness.

Over the past two years, Haruka Matsuo — a Japanese artist and tea master living and working in the

Gooi region — has been developing Tea Tree, Tea Treaty, a contemporary teahouse at the Meentwerf in

Hilversum. The project aims to explore how the essence of a traditional teahouse can be reinterpreted in a

contemporary context, while establishing connections to the community, soil and history of the Naardermeer.

The teahouse is constructed entirely from recycled materials, including original components from

the Meentwerf building (formerly a fire station), as well as clay sourced from the Naardermeer. Community

involvement has been central to both the design and construction process, for example through the

participation of people from the King Arthur Groep, an organisation for people with early-onset dementia.

During the final stage of construction in April 2026, participants will join Haruka in collecting clay from the

Naardermeer and building an earthen wall within the teahouse.

At the core of the project is an interest in how attention, material and environment shape human

experience. Drawing from the principles of the Japanese tea ceremony, the teahouse creates conditions

for connection between people and place. By working with local people, local materials and embedding the

histories of the Naardermeer into the structure, these relationships are made tangible.

At the Meentwerf, the Lenteborrel (Spring Festival) will take place, featuring a live band (Dirt Road Music Band), openings by artist (Eric van der Vegt), and open studios hosted by resident atelier holders.

The Lentefeest runs from 15:00 to 19:00.