The installation and performance The String is inspired by worry beads or komboloi
and was presented as a part of the Xarkis festival in Koilani Village, Cyprus.

Komboloi comes from kombos, meaning the knot.

The fascination and magic derived from these knots running through ones fingers
may well have come from the thoughts conjured up from playing with the string of beads.
The komboloi is said to be more than just a means of passing time, it reflects a way of life.

I talked about the komboloi with the people that use them and learned how to play with them.

I developed a movement peace, with the emphasis on my hands and fingers,
like a language, without manipulating a komboloi for real, so it can come across as
an ancient sign language.

I recorded an old man, singing about the komboloi and used this in the performance.

I made big paper-mache beads and invited participants to write their worries and hopes
on the beads and made a string, laying it between the church and the old mosque,
performing in this installation.

​credit: Emma Louise Charalambous