Tender Touches: The artist-run cafe where every object is an artwork

The initiative, entitled Tender Touches, has been orchestrated by the organisation Open Space, and aims to “blur the lines between the gallery, the studio and the dining room,” hosting a number of talks, dinners, readings and performances in the space housing works by 12 international emerging artists.

Among those are Coco Crampton, who has created dining tables stencilled with biomorphic designs; Bea Bonafini, who’s behind the beautiful cultural crockery; cutlery creator Lindsey Mendick; serviette star Sofia Stevi and wallpaper whiz-kid Marco Palmieri.

We’re very much into the cheeky work of photographer Pixy Liao, whose work adorns the waiting staff’s trays. Their uniform? Artist-designed, of course: the aprons are hand-embroidered by Cecilia Charlton and Goia Mujalli.

The menu itself not only looks good but does well too. Created by artist and co-curator Inês Neto dos Santos, the dinner looks to highlight sustainable food practices such as preservation.

According to organisers, Tender Touches references a long line of artistic and literary culinary projects including Gordon Matta-Clark's New York-based artist-run restaurant FOOD from 1971, and Gertrude Stein's 1914 book Tender Buttons.

Tender Touches runs from 17 May - 30 June 2019 at AMP Gallery. in London.