Taking the form of an oversized inflatable water boiler, teapot and serving tray lodged into the side of the Hayward Gallery, the sculpture is titled after the eponymous tea brewer commonly found across Central Asia.
A Russian invention of the mid-18th century, samovars are used today across Eastern Europe, the Middle East and some parts of Asia, in both domestic and communal settings.
Although humorously enlarged like a mascot or parade float, Slavs and Tatars’ installation uses the samovar as an emblem to recount the ways in which the history of tea is intertwined with cross-cultural exchange and colonialism.
By creating a monumental symbol of a celebrated and long-established tea culture, the artwork questions the role of tea in British history, tradition and popular culture.
Slavs and Tatars is an art collective based in Berlin, Germany.
By blending pop aesthetics, esoteric traditions and oral rituals with scholarly analysis, Slavs and Tatars creates artworks that address complex and overlooked cultural histories spanning Europe and Asia.
Since 2006, the artists have produced installations, sculptures, lectures and printed matter that question understanding of language, ritual and identity.
Samovar is the first of three annual commissions presented in partnership with the Bagri Foundation.
Supported by the Bagri Foundation
