A handshake is an everyday gesture, rather formal and yet intimate. Despite the fleeting natureof the touch, it says a lot about the person you are shaking hands with – it conveys confidence, betrays insecurity, allows empathy to be felt, and reveals closeness or distance. It has the power to express and establish trust. Erik Andersen's oversized ceramic handshake, hanging from the ceiling slightly above hip height, appears firm and promises commitment. The two interlocking hands,which appear hollow on the inside, encourage viewers to insert their own hands into the openings on the left and right. The sculpture encourages people who happen to meet to greet each other personally—and ostensibly negates this, because the openings are not connected to each other. It subverts expectations, irritates, and negotiates the boundaries and potentials of human communication.
Isabelle Meiffert
