Rice Mantra
- Dimensions variable
- Rice grains
- May 17-18, 2025
︎Borgerstraat, Rotterdam
Rice Mantra comprised a performative installation and a series of drawings, all of which revolved around the body’s engagement with rice.
During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, after a housemate moved out, I temporarily converted their empty room into a meditation space. Over the course of three weeks, I spent hours each day sitting on the floor, counting grains of jasmine rice—approximately 3 kilograms in total. I meticulously placed the grains into individual piles of 1000, and after 11 days, I had counted 108,883 grains. This act became a meditative ritual for me during that period.
At Borgerstraat, I intended to re-engage with that riceful practice in this room, treating it as a meditation hall that could transform into a vessel for contemplation and grief. During the open studio, I continued the act of counting rice from 2–4 p.m. every day (time may be extended), aiming to count 17,500 grains — the approximate number of Palestinian children killed by Israel since October 7, 2023. During this time, Alireza Abbasy engaged in walking meditation around me in the room. Eventually it took me about 6 hours to count 17500 grains of rice (had half an hour help from Ali).
In addition to counting rice, I explored the meditative act of drawing rice as well. Using a pen to draw on the surfaces of the room, I repeated the motif of a single grain of rice, allowing it to slowly expand across the space. Each stroke was accompanied with a silent recitation of “Amituofo”—a mantra that in this case could be reenforced by the physical and mental focus required in this careful drawing practice.
