Nge-Téh / Tea Time
Architectures of Colonial Commodity Chain from Indonesia to Germany, 19th Century.
The Architecture Museum der TUM presents the exhibition “Nge-Téh / Tea Time: Architectures of Colonial Commodity Chain from Indonesia to Germany, 19th Century.” The exhibition aims to demonstrate the origins of tea, an intoxicant drink consumed daily in Europe, as a colonial commodity. To do this, it will trace the spaces and architectures where tea was planted and manufactured in the plantations of West Java, as well as the way it was shipped and stored between Batavia and Hamburg, and sold and consumed in Germany, including Munich. All of these spaces shaped the transimperial infrastructure of tea, facilitating its mass consumption in the 19th century, particularly in Europe.
The exhibition is the culmination of the Master's Research and Curatorial Studio: 'Exhibiting Architectures of the Transimperial Economy', at the Chair of Architectural History and Curatorial Practice at TUM. The studio's topic is based on the research project of its lead, Geraldus Martimbang. Photographic materials, films, and ceramic exhibits were created in collaboration with the Architekturmuseum der TUM archive, the SITFA family archive in Amersfoort, the Indonesian diaspora organisation Sagonese e.V., and the Bandung-based Sundanese research group Niskala Institute.
Free Admission
When
July 22, 2026, 6 - 8 p.m.
July 23 - 26, 2026, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Visits in special hours are granted upon contact.
Where
Pavillon 333
Türkenstraße 15, 80333 Munich
(East of Pinakothek der Moderne)
Co-curators
Geraldus Martimbang (Lead)
Felix Mascotto
Eléonore Cicchini
Lorenzo Edward
Jakob Spickers
Contact
geraldus.martimbang@gmail.com
Events Accompanying The Exhibition:
Vernissage / Opening – Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 6 pm
Colloquium “Commodity, Plantation and Colonialism in Indonesia. Current Research in Social, Economic and Architectural History.” (In-Person Format) – Thursday, July 23, 2026, 1 - 6:30 p.m.; Friday, July 24, 2026, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Indonesian Cultural Event – Saturday, July 25, 2026, 12 - 3 p.m.
Film Screening “Traces of Parakan Salak Tea Plantation” and Conversation with Film Makers (Hybrid Format) – Sunday, July 26, 2026, 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Guided Tours: Sunday, July 26, 2026, 2 - 3 p.m., 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
