random t room
different locations
2018 - present
an ongoing nomadic project started in 2018 against the backdrop of rave culture, in collaboration with the artist dasha mamba. essentially, it is a pop-up cafe, executed over a hundred times, with its menu structured around tea and coffee and designed as a way to connect with oneself and thoughtfully relive the rave experience-concentrated, exalted, and perhaps even aggressive.
tea and coffee act as conduits into a particular state of care and help adjust the focus of the guest’s attention. beyond the interaction with taste, the artist also uses aromas, sounds, textures, and visuals to create the tea-and-coffee room as a space that engages all the senses and immerses the viewer more deeply in the moment. the room is a fluid space-more of a feeling than an environment. it fits into the context of a particular place and event, absorbs it, and comes to an end together with it, only to reveal itself next time in another guise at another event.
together with a cup of tea or coffee, the artist offers a complex experience through which one first connects with oneself and then adjusts one’s focus to the surrounding reality.
2025
“t room” was held at the opening of an exhibition in venice by invitation of the curators, as a way to shift habitual gallery dynamics and involve visitors in a shared experience of exhibition time. the tea ceremony functioned as a form of participation, transforming visitors from observers into participants in the unfolding moment.
situated alongside video works and meditative music, the tea gathering, rooted in uzbek tradition, shaped a multi-layered sensory experience. steam, aroma, taste, utensils, and shared gestures redirected attention toward embodied presence, allowing the exhibition to be experienced not only visually, but also through sound, smell, taste, and time.
2025
during elidium festival, “t room” emerged in the forest as a pop-up coffee camp, appearing twice during the festival day. without signs or formal boundaries, it gathered on a round wooden platform, where fabric, objects, and utensils formed a place for pause and recovery within the active rhythm of the festival.
the duration of “t room” was defined by the length of a set of five cassette tapes, selected specifically for that day. coffee was brewed as a pour-over while the tapes were playing, and guests were invited to slow down, sit, look at the forest, and engage with objects created for tactile experience—until the final cassette ended and “t room” completed its work.
2024
during waking life festival, “t room” emerged beneath an installation created in collaboration with the echo of creation team, in the twilight moment just after sunset—a time of transition when light and color shift every second, and semi-transparent fabrics catch these changes, constantly altering the sense of form and presence.
a brief moment of warmth and presence was shared over freshly roasted coffee, brewed as a pour-over, before each guest departed into their own nocturnal ceremony of the festival.
2024
amid the artist’s emigration to tbilisi in 2022, she sought refuge and creative inspiration centered around the concept of home. it was during this period that she built her studio, a space that came to symbolize her search for belonging in a new land. within the studio’s expansive hall, a meticulously designed tea room emerged as a sanctuary for fostering community bonds.
by hosting the crewq community x testfm music broadcast, the studio evolved into a vibrant hub for the migrant community in tbilisi, nurturing connections with local musicians and music enthusiasts. music, with its timeless solace, not only provided a sense of security but also kindled a profound feeling of togetherness within this evolving artistic haven.
2022
a tearoom located in a basement with black walls, ceiling, and floor, creating a sense of cosmos.
velvet curtains and small shining mirrors added fluidity, while dripping transparent slime and levitating candles deepened the feeling of weightlessness. smoky aroma sticks scented with nag champa flowers, together with various optical illusions, created an elegant neo-witchy dark pocket to hide in with a cup of hot tea.
2021 - 2022
the tearoom at raduga explored adolescence, youth, brightness, corporeality, and celebration. this theme was expressed through artifacts such as penis-shaped éclairs and puffy breasts with milk, as well as hand gum with fruit and candy flavors. in another iteration, the raduga tearoom was located in a “luminous cabinet” on wheels that moved from one location to another. the tearoom opened every weekend from 2021 to 2022 at different locations, alongside club events.
2019 - 2020
the mutabor tearoom opened in the same place almost every weekend, transforming each time to retain a sense of fluidity and elusiveness. initially, it was located on an iron table near the garage, then it extended inside, onto the roof, forming a backyard with a tent, and finally – a greenhouse that became a secluded dance floor. the artists dedicated this tearoom to the theme of “having tea at grandma’s.” they wove candles, porcelain figurines, and other everyday objects of a bygone era into intricate compositions within the industrial garage. by creating a sense of fragility in this setting, they encouraged visitors to be mindful and careful.
2020
this project explored the connections between the spiritual and the material. fulfilling a long-held dream, anya opened 420 coffeeshop, which operated until 420 cups of coffee had been made. each cup was served with a numbered stone. through tactile interaction with the stone, the participant was invited to connect with their unconscious and make a wish, thereby entering the artist’s world of thoughts and spiritual associations.
the stone became an artifact that remained with the participant until the wish was made, after which the process of its fulfillment was symbolically set in motion. the project reflects on the relationship between spiritual and physical reality, where inner cognitive experience is harmoniously complemented by the physical reality of action.
2018
located in a house on wheels, the tearoom utilized the entire circular meadow of the club courtyard, at the center of which there was a campfire site, visible from all the buildings of the club. the site attracted light, radiated warmth, and interacted with visitors in a tactile way.