Helmut Van den Meersschaut has been a familiar face in Victoria (now CAMPO) for many years. As a young actor he performed in, among others, Moeder en Kind by Alain Platel & Arne Sierens; many years later he could be seen in Club Astrid by Lies Pauwels. Besides this he was one of the driving forces behind the dance trio Latrinité: together with Ben Benaouisse and Noël Van Kelst he created Danse Donse Dandan, Auri Sacra Fames and Limbus Patrum. In May 2006 he presented the performance Sermo I: L'art de se guérir at Victoria at the invitation of Ben Benaouisse.
In recent years we also followed his trajectory outside Victoria, as dancer/actor in a number of performances by Jan Fabre/Troubleyn (Parrots and Guinea Pigs, Je Suis Sang, Crying Body, Histoire Des Larmes) and with his first own production Stepping out from under the shadows of your dinosaurs. This firstling turned out to be a fascinating presentation where dance and the theatrical were organically interwoven. Furthermore, his talent as ‘image-maker’ produced several magnificent visual moments. His strong visual talent was also displayed in other projects (installations, stage design). For instance, he designed the setting and light for the production Venizke by Ben Benaouisse, Lies Pauwels & CAMPO.
His last project, Entre Nous, is a solo performance that premiered in December 2009 at CAMPO and exhibited again his strong skills in the field of image and aesthetics. Concerning content, Entre Nous can be regarded as an autobiographical conclusion of his artistic trajectory. His own life is always occupying an important place in his work; the work is therefore both a catharsis and a confession.
The theatrical work of HVdM bears the closest resemblance to what is called performance in history. He places his form constantly in function of his idea and not the other way around. The ritual always obtains a central place and is each time elaborated in a decorative manner.
The interesting thing about this maker is that he cannot be reduced to a specific profile: he is someone who explores the field with a lot of inquisitiveness and who examines the borders of the possibilities of artistic work. In his own work he frequently involves people from different disciplines who can inspire and fertilize him in different ways. On the other hand, it is also important for him to become involved in projects of other makers. He translates the inspiration he draws from this into his own artistic atmosphere, without imitating.
Yours sincerely,
Dirk Pauwels
Artistic director CAMPO
