BADRI VALIAN

 A Cup Of Tea, An Interactive and Participatory Art Project, 2023

“A cup of tea” is an installation of collective objects gathered together in a tea tray; depicting visual symbols of tea tradition in Iran as well as showcasing the portrait of those who fought for freedom and lost their lives since the beginning of revolution in Iran, last September 2022.

In this interactive and social practice art project, artist, Badri Valian, invites her audience to get closer to the tea tray and discover more details she has planted there. She recites a poem inspired by those moments when Iranian families had a good time drinking tea together after their afternoon nap, freely and happily.

Her goal is to draw global awareness to what is happening in Iran, and to cultivate hope by reminiscing with nostalgic memories of those who had to leave their home country to escape the brutality of totalitarianism.

When was the last time you had a cup of tea in Iran?

Well, let me ask this question first. When was the last time you were in Iran?

When was the last time that you were hosted by a friend in Iran? Where was that?

Was it in Tehran? Which neighborhood? Was it in Kurdistan? Are you from Kurdistan? Or was it in Shomal, the North? Or Jonoob, the South?

Could you remember who your host was?

Could you remember when that was? It was Bahar, the Spring season, or Paeez, the fall? 

Is she your old school friend that you both have a lot of common stories to share together? 

Did you talk about those stories that night?

Did you laugh at those stories that night?

And the most important question. Did she serve you tea? Persian tea. 

Did you drink tea together that night?

How many cups of tea did you drink?

Did you drink your tea with a sugar cube? 

Did she serve the tea in a traditional cup with a saucer? Did you pour the tea in the saucer to cool off a little bit?

Do you remember the shape of the tea cup and the saucer? What did the Estekan Nalbeki look like?

How was the tea? Was it well brewed? Was it fresh enough? 

Did that tea add any joy to your laughter? 

Did your host fill up your cup of tea for the second round? How many sugar cubes did you take that night? You lost track? Watch your sugar intake. : )

Did you laugh when taking sugar? Did you choke with a sugar cube? How many times have you choked by a sugar cube when drinking tea?

Wasn’t that choke the best choke ever? A combination of laughing to your common memories with your beloved friend in Iran after many years.

Such a simple and yet complex concept. 

Tell me, are you willing to go to Iran again?

Are you missing those gatherings with friends in Iran?

Do you dream about it sometimes?

Are you missing drinking a cup of tea with your friends in Iran? 

Are you willing to drink a cup of tea with your family in Iran one more time?

Are you missing those laughters?

Are you missing those gatherings?

Are you missing that happiness? 

Are you missing those simple concepts that look impossible to happen again? 

It seems you do, as I do so.

So, let’s imagine it.

Let’s imagine that impossible concept of happiness and laughter.

Imagine you are in Iran one more time. Imagine you are in your friend’s house one more time. 

All right, Imagine you are sitting on a comfortable sofa in your friend’s house in iran. 

Imagine your friend shuttling to the dining room with a tray of tea cups, sugar cubes and savory sweets.

Your friend puts the tray on the table. 

Look at the inside of the tray.

What do you see in the tray? 

A series of tea cups, sugar cubes and your favorite sweets like Baghlava and noon kishmishi and keyk yazdi.

What else?

I see faces.

I see faces in that tray.

I see familiar faces of young adults who were seeking simple happiness and laughter.

I see the portraits of those brave ones who fought just seeking those simple happiness and laughter. As simple as a gathering of an ordinary family in Iran, happily and freely. 

I see their faces. 

I see wind blowing in their hair and the sky above doubles their beauty.

Look at the tray.

Find her face. Look at her eyes. Look at the mirror in that tray. Look at yourself in the mirror.

Wind is blowing to your hair and her hair. And the sky above doubles your beauty and her beauty.

Touch her hair.

Braid her hair. 

Look at yourself in the tray. Find yourself in the tray. Your eyes are next to her eyes. 

Tell her name. Tell your name.

You are there. You are beside her, shoulder to shoulder. Braid her hair and tell her name and imagine.

Imagine yourself in your favorite friend’s house in Iran. Very soon. Drinking tea together. And laughing at old memories happily and freely.

Imagine it.

Manifest it. 

Celebrate it.

Let it happen. Let her dream happen. Let your dream happen.

Let that joy come back to our home country of Iran one more time.

Braid her hair and celebrate her memory.

Celebrate freedom.

Celebrate free Iran. 

Celebrate free Kurdistan.

Celebrate free Shomal and free Jonoob. 

Celebrate free Iran.

Braid her hair.