No Mercy
Galerie IFF's second exhibition in Aix-en-Provence presented a video installation by Scottish artist Fraser Stables. The video shows two tattoos on the arm of a boxer: the phrase 'No Mercy' written over a hummingbird drinking from a flower. The video is edited in such a manner that the tattoos are almost motionless throughout a boxing training session. The surrounding environment of the punching bag, and the boxer himself are absent all that remains are the tensioned muscles, the tattoos which move in and out of focus, background sound and bodily movement. Through No Mercy, the artist connects the characteristics of training as aspirational in relationship to sport, violence and physical superiority. The training session is suspended between repetition and combat.
