Counting thoughts

I created this work as a way of practicing attention rather than representing it. I was interested in finding a mindful way of being that did not rely on sitting still with closed eyes, but could exist in the open, shared space of performance.

The piece came from my own attempt to understand the nature of thoughts and to notice the moment they move away from the present. Not to judge or stop them, but simply to recognise when attention drifts and to return again. I wanted to make that return visible.

I was drawn to ritual practices where repetition supports focus. Monks wearing rosaries or using malas do not remove thoughts, but they create a rhythm that gently brings the mind back when it wanders. The object becomes a companion in attention. In this work, the garment takes on that role.

By wearing the strands on my body, the practice becomes inseparable from movement, breath, and duration. The act of pulling a strand is not symbolic of removing a thought, but of acknowledging it and coming back to what is here.

This work grew out of a desire to sit with distraction as part of being human, and to see if presence could be practiced through simple, physical actions. It is both a personal exercise and an invitation to share a quiet, attentive moment together.