Part of a program that invites artists to interact with pieces from the collection, THEMPRA presented an unusual installation at Orticolario 2015, a famous garden show that hosts cultural events in Cernobbio, Como. The project entailed a collaboration between Italian and Japanese artists, who set up a Japanese tea house with its Zen garden in the park of Villa Erba. Showko Kawahara, master of ceremonies came from Japan for the occasion, presenting the traditional tea ceremony, an ancient ritual that takes place according to a meticulous choreography. Entertaining guests by offering a cup of tea becomes an elegant performance that brings together different arts: particularly important are the tools, such as tea cups and pots, and the graceful, measured movements of the master of ceremony. The traditional 'rock garden' surrounding the tea house, is designed according to precise aesthetic rules to create an atmosphere that prepares the visitor to spirituality. The Zen garden was created by landscape architects Enzo (Satoru Tabata), Yukitero Hirai and Yoshiko Miwa, and complemented by a sculpture of the artist Barbara Crimella. The tea house is the work of the group JUKAI, in collaboration with the artists Akino Iida and Eriko Tamai.