Body Builder, 2007, video, 7 min

Against a white backdrop in an indefinite space, a bodybuilder displays his physique to us. The body’s presentation is performed not via private gestures or an improvised movement, but rather through a predetermined set of gestures. This set, compulsory in bodybuilding competitions, is repeated in the bodybuilder’s every workout as an integral part of his daily routine.
The mechanical act of muscle pumping without weights transforms the act into an abstract ritual: the movement is dissociated from its original purpose – pressing a heavy object – transforming into an aesthetic gesture that signifies potential energy. In a discipline where the competition focuses on show of muscles (rather than on sporting achievements in the traditional sense), the power inherent in the muscles is harnessed for aesthetic definition of the body.