Hands play a crucial role in communication. They are capable of revealing things that the face and/or language seek to hide or cannot express. Even though hands are often considered an extension of the brain, they can also be seen as an extension of the heart, and perhaps even our emotions. Based on Jean Ferrat’s musical rendition of a poem by the French poet Louis Aragon, main(s)tenues explores the complexity of (contemporary) human connection and the vulnerability involved.