13 Jun 2019

Open Space Contemporary presents: Tender Touches

An intimate tour of the exhibition, providing insight into the curatorial and conceptual process behind Tender Touches, the influences and theoretical references behind the food elements in the project, and the creative process behind commissioning the artworks on display.

This Curatorial Tour is part of Open Space's programme of events for Tender Touches, an exhibition curated by Huma Kabakci and Inês Neto dos Santos at AMP Gallery, 17 May - 30 June 2019. Tender Touches takes the form of an 'art cafe' where everything – from the food to the furniture and tableware – is both a functional object and an artwork. Drawing on the food-based practice of Inês Neto dos Santos, the exhibition blurs the boundaries between the studio, the gallery and the dining room, using food as a catalyst for conversation and debate.

Huma Kabakci (b. London, 1990), the co-curator of Tender Touches, is a second-generation collector, independent curator and Founding Director of Open Space, living and working between London and Istanbul. Kabakci studied at London College of Communication, has an MA in Curating Contemporary Art from the Royal College of Art and recently completed a curatorial fellowship at the 2018 Liverpool Biennial. She has worked at various galleries, museums and auction houses, both in the UK and Turkey, including Sotheby's Contemporary Art Sales department (London), The Albion Gallery (London), Pera Museum (Istanbul), and has worked on three major collection exhibitions in museums during the 2010 Ruhr & Pecs Capital of Culture. Kabakci's curatorial interests lie in subjects such as diaspora, cultural identity, gender, memory and the body.

Inês Neto dos Santos (b. Lisbon, 1992) is a multidisciplinary artist based in London and is co-curator of Tender Touches. She studied at the Royal College of Art (2016) and London College of Communication (2013). Her practice stands between performance and installation - using food, people and spaces as metaphors and prompts for discussion and conversation. Neto dos Santos explores the stories and performative actions behind eating, feeding, and cooking. She has exhibited internationally, including Lisbon, Porto, Madrid, Athens and London.