Manipulations (2004)

• 74%
• 2004
• Mounir Fatmi

Manipulations is a video inspired by the famous game of logic Rubik's cube. It is a succession of close-ups of varying intensity showing a pair of hands manipulating a cube with colored faces, to a soundtrack of a regular and insistent beat, the clicking of the cubes combining at times with strident acoustic distortions. As the resolution of the logic game progresses, cubes with black faces that weren't initially present appear, progressively replacing the colored cubes until the brainteaser becomes completely black, with the exception of a row of cubes with a white line. Meanwhile, the hands tirelessly continue their manipulations while images of the Kaaba are overlaid on those of the hands moving around and being progressively covered in black. This piece is part of a larger body of work initiated in 2004 that also comprises a series of photographs, a sculpture and a video game.