Connecting people through art 

Zwelethu Mthethwa

Flex

The South African artist Zwelethu Mthethwa made his name with his paintings and photographs depicting the oppressed black population of South Africa as proud and dignified people. The video work Flex raises many questions. The work was filmed in a sport school. Soundlessly it zooms in on the face and body of a young man. The constant close-ups make the texture of the skin and the fall of light important factors in the whole effect. The zoomed-in images make it hard to see exactly what the person is doing. It remains a suggestion.