An invite to tea
Anne-Maren Birkelid
Royal Academy Of Art The Hague KABK
Hospitality is often reserved for those closest to us. We create spaces of care and belonging through gathering, conversation and offering. But what might happen if we extend these gestures further, to those who we do not know, and to those who may need them most? An Invite to Tea is a portable hospitality set by artist and designer Anne-Maren Birkelid. It invites people to gather over tea while reflecting on the many questions, dilemmas, and possibilities of hospitality through the experience of hospitality itself. Its design draws on eight-pointed stars found in both cultures, Norwegian rosemaling, and Moroccan wood painting as ornamentation. Around the table are eight questions that open up for reflection and discussion about hospitality: What does it mean to welcome? How can hospitality be a tool for connection? What are the limits of hospitality? The Provider provides, what prevents us from giving more? Who gets to belong and call a place their home? What if we gave without expectations? What labour lies behind a welcome? Who do we become by welcoming others? Developed from her research on Norwegian and Moroccan hospitality practice, the design merges cultural elements and ornamentation into a new aesthetic and function. The set consists of a table, extending table boards, sitting mats and backpack straps. The table also doubles as a storage box for a tea set. It is designed to be partially or fully assembled and provides a space for hosting a tea gathering for up to eight people. When disassembled, the pieces may be stacked and carried as a backpack, making it possible to offer tea and hospitality anywhere.