Natasha Marin: Miko Kuro's Midnight Tea (MKMT) is an undergound art "happening" which began as a monthly event in 2008. Participants, guests, featured artists, and MKMT staff collaborates to co-create a magical once-in-a-lifetime event involving poetry, performance, music, video and intrigue.

NM: Most good things start with an idea, and MKMT was no exception, but ideas come and go all the time. This one grew into itself because it captured the interest and energy of a few key people who helped to carry the project through its fetal stage. Without their support and the help I've received from my partner, Kelly O. I might not have believed it was possible to make this thing happen the way it has! 

NM: My hope is to co-create ritualized spaces wherein people from different backgrounds, who may not traditionally think of themselves as "artsy," can feel safe enough to experiment with their boundaries in a way that is beautiful and transformative, like a ceremony. And for those who do think of themselves as "artsy," I want their Tea Experience to be a small but significant step in their evolution involving the surrender of one's often restrictive comfort zones. 

NM: Beauty and form have always interested me. I studied English and creative writing in school, which I don't recommend to people who like money in their bank account. But, I do have that fleeting satisfaction of being a well-read Seattleite with a daunting vocabulary.   

After graduate school, I found myself in shock that the world I was a part of included valances of racism and sexism that weren't just "in my imagination" or due to any recognizable "over sensitivity” on my part. I wanted a more visceral experience from my creative work. Academia can be very isolating for black women. I discovered that I could help myself come to terms with my environment while helping others as well, by organizing community art events. I got a grant to support my first major project and have been doing work like The Tea ever since.

NM: Project? Since MKMT encompasses many art forms including photography, performance, painting, etc. the materials involved are varied. Naturally, tea implements are of utmost importance along with elements that create the appropriate ambiance. But what makes The Midnight Tea what it is, are the people-- the guests. 

 

NM: The Midnight Tea project is collaboration. Yes, the concept is mine, but this project has always been a cooperative endeavor. I wouldn't have made it through last year's intense back-to-back teas in Vancouver without Kelly O, the Event Manager, Lord Loxley, Dafang Jiang, Jamie-Lee Fuoco, Oliver Strong, and makeup artist, Kathryn Sainsbury.

NW: Part of my artistic mission includes validating creative work that may not be considered "mainstream." So I have had to come to terms with the fact that sometimes the most interesting artists are the ones that no one has heard of. When I am preparing for a Midnight Tea, I wear many proverbial hats. I am the point person for decisions about lighting, sound, video, the tea itself, along with overseeing decor and the guest list. Believing in the work was made easier by those who committed to perfecting as many of the nitty-gritty details as possible with me. But the single most challenging aspect of this project has been allowing myself to really give and receive creatively to my heart's content. Strangely, giving myself permission-- the idea that maybe I can do the work I’ve been wanting to be doing and maybe I am thriving in the midst of it-- has been such a struggle and such a surprise. It feels often like in America, we really are part an oppressively pessimistic society that tends to focus more on fear rather than happiness.

NW: I think if we have a distinct message that goes beyond finding one's own freedom at midnight, it is “Ichi-go ichi-e”, which translates roughly from the Japanese as "one time, one meeting" or "once-in-a-lifetime."    

Although each event follows a tradition or ritual, there is nothing rehearsed about the Midnight Tea "happenings" because they are so contingent upon the attitudes of those who sign up to be our guests. The anti-exclusive nature of The Tea means that anyone can sign up to attend on a first-come basis by completing the RSVP form on our website (www.mikokuro.com). Predicting the outcome of any tea experiment is too difficult because of the number of factors in play. The Ichi-go ichi-e philosophy encourages those in attendance, to relinquish their need for control to become part of the beauty that is unfolding. People have described the event as "powerful" and "reverent." 

NW: I have hosted thirteen teas at my studio in Vancouver and anticipate more Midnight Teas in Seattle, DC, New York, and Paris, France this year in addition to my seasonal events in Vancouver. In 2011, I will be going to China and in 2012, India.

 

NW: Curious kittens can check out our website (www.mikokuro.com) which has many, many photos from previous events along with updates on what to expect when you are expecting the unexpected at twitter.com/mikokuro. To view documentary from the project, check out: http://www.viddler.com/explore/lordloxley/videos/1/