By the Numbers:

Jesse Woolston is an artist whose practice spans bespoke computational physics, sculpture, painting, and large-scale public installation. Working across media with a medium-agnostic perspective, Woolston reconstructs natural phenomena as governed systems, from gravitational flow and oceanic force, to thermal combustion, atmospheric pressure, geological eruption, and the physics of detonation.

1. How many podcasts do you subscribe to?

0, I try to keep my inputs as low as possible.

2. How many podcast episodes do you listen to on average each week?

1-2, I have a few podcasts I like that I check in on every couple weeks or a month. It's orientated around personal selection and timing.

3. How many people do you follow on TikTok/Instagram/Twitter/Letterboxd (choose/add applicable)?

763 on Instagram.

4. How many caffeinated beverages do you consume, on average, daily?

3-4.

5. How many books do you currently have checked out from the library?

0. I enjoy purchasing books I ambitiously want to read, but the real answer is I have an ever growing wall of literature and audiobook reserves that I will probably never get to read until I retire.

6. How many books do you have on hold from the library?

0.

7. How many photos do you have in your camera roll?

5,799, my camera roll has become a ledger for the seasons of my life.

8. How many screenshots do you have in your screenshot folder?

1,254, mostly fashion and technical sections of installation documents.

9. How many selfies do you have saved?

Around 100 since 2018. The majority are from the studio when I've documented progressively getting covered in metal, material, and dirt over the arch of a sculpture.

10. How many films have you watched so far this year?

3-4, but I wish it was more. Film is a medium I deem in high regard. A multi-disciplinary art form that unfolds over time with both visual and auditory languages all having a conversation together.

11. How many books have you read so far this year?

4. I've been recently returning to some of the artists biographies and practice publications to revisit touches of perspectives I enjoy. I have found different artists have different dimensions I really connect with and it's refreshing to feel in dialog with those before me.

12. How many games have you played so far this year?

1-2. When I want to slow down a bit and turn off my brain, I try a game. I start then I tend to run out of steam, so I end up not finishing any of them.

13. How many songs do you have saved/liked on your music app of choice (Spotify/Apple Music/Tidal/Youtube Music et. al.)?

433 on Spotify, but across the different platforms, I have a range of material I love. Music is such a joy and it can so quickly change an environment.

14. How many playlists do you have saved?

18 with 16 of those being ones I've built myself.

15. How many shows or live performances have you been to this year?

2. Not nearly as many as I want, my number is down this year especially. In the age of technological acceleration, performance is and will continue to become more important and precious.

16. How many Discord servers are you in?

0. Back during the pandemic, I was in one with a bunch of computational artists where we solved problems and talked about simulation, but I never got into Discord, haven't opened it since.

17. How many streaming services do you pay for a subscription to?

2.

18. How many apps do you have a paid subscription for?

3.

19. How many newsletters do you subscribe to?

5.

20. How many news outlets or online magazines do you pay for a subscription to?

2.

21. How many unread emails do you currently have in your inbox?

402.

22. How many total emails do you have in your inbox?

2124.

23. How many emails do you receive on the average workday?

Hard to say, I shift between drought to heavy rain depending on the state of the projects and how many are running in parallel.

24. How many emails would you send on the average workday?

Too many, that's what we're all thinking, right?

25. How many contacts do you have saved on your phone?

332.

26. How many apps do you have on your phone?

68. I reckon I can get that down to 15 this year, I don't use 95% of them.

27. How many tabs do you currently have open on your main browsing device?

10.

28. How many voice memos have you sent in the last 24 hours?

3.

29. How long was the last voice memo you sent?

1:24.

30. How many times do you go to the supermarket in a week on average?

1-2.

31. How many items would you purchase in an average supermarket shop?

Roughly 25-30, given I have a fairly regimented diet and always try and get it done in one go.

32. How many unread notifications do you currently have on your phone?

125.

33. How many instruments can you play?

I grew up playing the drums, moved to piano, keyboards, and modular systems, then eventually I landed on the pen and paper at the piano before the installations and artworks took over my life. I miss the nights alone in the studio, just playing and writing. I need to get back to it.

34. How many languages can you speak/understand?

1, English. I've tried a range of languages, but never was able to find the moment to really become fluent. There are about 3-4 I want to etch the time to dedicate towards.

35. How many devices do you personally own that can connect to the internet? (eg. phone, laptop, console, smartwatch, tablet)

9. Servers, computers, and personal devices.

36. How many screens are in your household? (If separate from previous answer)

I use about 3 screens when I'm working on simulations, outside of that only a couple.

37. How many financial transactions would you make on the average day? (incl. one-off purchases, recurring payments, bank transfers, etc.)

0-2, always trying to minimize my activity.

38. How many birthdays can you remember off the top of your head?

I thought about this for a couple minutes, maybe 2-3? mmmmmm

39. How many passages of text can you remember or recite by heart?

3-10? Most from my childhood, but I'd argue far more. Recently, a moment triggered my long term memory and I realized I remembered a quote I thought was long gone.

40. How many keys (or equivalent) are on your keychain?

2.

41. How many passwords do you have saved on an app that saves passwords? (as in accounts, not individual passwords)?

0.

42. How many kitchen appliances do you have in your household?

5.

43. How many pairs of shoes do you have?

11.

44. How many pairs of socks do you have?

Considering the ones that go missing and reappear when organizing draw space? Enough/Not enough.

45. How many condiments do you have in your fridge?

9.

46. How many pets do you have?

1.

47. How many plants do you have?

3.

48. How many steps are in your skincare routine?

2.

49. How many skincare products do you use on a daily basis?

2.

50. How many cushions/pillows do you sleep with?

4.

51. How many times have you been in love?

0.5, it's complicated.

52. How many hours on average do you sleep in a night?

On a great day? a solid 6-7, on a bad day? Insomnia gets me or I'll get the golden 15 minute nap.

53. How many schools have you attended?

2.

54. How many addresses have you had in your life?

4.

55. How many qualifications do you have?

2. I never found a route to support my lane, so a very spotty collage of educational moments with a life of self taught techniques.

56. How many times have you broken a bone?

0. Good ol kiwi dairy.

57. How many standing weekly appointments do you have?

6.

58. How many people do you message or check in with on a daily/weekly basis (choose most appropriate)?

5.

59. How many YouTube channels do you subscribe to?

2.

60. How long did it take you to fill out this questionnaire?

1.5 hours, spread over a few days.

Jesse Woolston returns to New Zealand with his first ever exhibition – The Infinite Constant Front – a monumental installation on the Eden Park pitch – for Art in the Park 2026.