About “Hand to hand”, a performance series from Helge Meyer
By Michael LaChance
(Exerpt from “15 principles of Black Market” in “Inter – Art Actuel”, 2002
)

“In Helge Meyers relationship with his public, a unstated contract is passed: “All the clothing I wear are the result of an exchange (in a past festival in the Philippines) I must exchange them all with you today!” When it came to the last item, feminine underwear, and the public had to decide collectively about this symbolic process of nudity of the artist, whether or not to permit the complete success of the exchange protocol. The systematic character of the unraveling of the action and the quality of the interpersonal relationship in which the exchange is done contributes to the degree of response of the public. So Meyer’s mechanism is a link in an international transmission chain: the group from Le Lieu became solidary with the Philippines group. And more, each piece of clothing having a history, each spectator discovers how much his clothing is related to his own cultural universe. All this pushed an audacious spectator to come and give up his underwear in front of everybody in exchange for a black lace string that Helge M. had succeeded in putting on. Thanks to this last audacious act, all the process was ratified, and the public confirmed its ability to conclude the “procedural” contract and overcome idiosyncratic prudery. The spectators are not only people who are asked to be there, they participate in an action and become performers. Helge M. can go to his next festival with a bunch of Québécois clothing. Let’s hope he will find someone who will accept to take them.”