Emerging art talent take a stand in London exhibition

Tucked away in the unlikely location of Harry Handelsman's Manhattan Lofts Marketing Suite, just around the corner from Wallpaper's Southbank HQ, an intimate exhibition is capitalising on London's Frieze-time footfall. Cryptically named 'All fun and games until someone gets burnt', the marketing rooms have been transformed into an eclectic contemporary gallery, showcasing emerging and established Turkish artists, along with local London talent.
Co-curator Huma Kabakci, hailing from Open Space Contemporary, explains how the representation of different materials and mediums is key to the exhibition – which includes a diverse range of sculpture, live performance, video, painting and textiles. Standout pieces include Patrick Hough's broken bust, that imitates ancient, heavy weathered stone until you're a nose-width away and realise it's made from foamy polystyrene; and Rafal Zajko's meta-installation that displays its own construction on cardboard-framed video screens. Perhaps most engagingly of all, Ahmet Civelek uses IKEA plastic spoons paired with marble – two materials that each have a particular value and significance, creating a poignant juxtaposition when paired together.
The exhibition hopes to provide a commentary on the contemporary art market, exploring the value of the materials used in a work. What's more, the artists represented here reflect a younger demographic than typically found in the throng of London's largest arts fair, as the second curator, Burcu Yuksel of Artkurio, explains. 'During Frieze week there is a dynamic energy throughout London, but it is hard for young, emerging artists to be featured. We wanted to provide another platform for this.'
It's not just Frieze that this exhibition coincides with. There's also Istanbul Art Weekend (which took place 30 September – 2 October) and also Contemporary Istanbul Art Fair, which returns to the city for its 11th edition in November. Yuksel explains, 'Since 2013, after the post-Gezi protests and the political situation, a number of galleries and non-profit spaces such as Salt Beyoğlu closed down. The Turkish art scene has unfortunately suffered some set backs due to the uncertainty.'
But, she continues, there are still thriving, innovative artists and great collectors, institutions and spaces popping up all the time in Turkey; just last May, Dirimart Gallery opened a new space, the largest commercial art gallery in Istanbul. This optimistic atmosphere translates throughout the showcase – perhaps a little off the beaten track, but well worth exploring, if the bright-lights of Frieze become too much.
The representation of the different materials and mediums is key to the exhibition, which includes a diverse range of sculpture, live performance, video, painting and textiles
Standout pieces include Patrick Hough's broken bust, Funerary Relief, 2016, that imitates weathered stone so it appears ancient and heavy until you're a nose-width away and realise it's made from polystyrene
Ahmet Civelek uses IKEA plastic spoons paired with marble, two materials that each have a particular value and significance, creating a poignant juxtaposition when when paired together
The exhibition is intended to provide a commentary on the contemporary art market, exploring the value of the materials used in a work
Information
'All fun and games until someone gets burnt' is on view until 13 October. For more information, visit the Open Space Contemporary website
Address
Manhattan Loft Gardens Marketing Suite
65 Hopton Street
London, SE1 9JL
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Elly Parsons is the Digital Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees Wallpaper.com and its social platforms. She has been with the brand since 2015 in various roles, spending time as digital writer – specialising in art, technology and contemporary culture – and as deputy digital editor. She was shortlisted for a PPA Award in 2017, has written extensively for many publications, and has contributed to three books. She is a guest lecturer in digital journalism at Goldsmiths University, London, where she also holds a masters degree in creative writing. Now, her main areas of expertise include content strategy, audience engagement, and social media.
-
A Miami pied-à-terre channels Art Deco glamour and endless summer
Interior designer Olga Malyev reimagines a South of Fifth apartment with bold colour, vintage treasures and a sunlit spirit that captures Miami’s timeless allure
-
A travelling exhibition of chairs hits the road for London Design Festival 2025
Organised by Design Everything, ‘A Seat at the Table’ travels to different venues in the city, where the chairs support communal events
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors' picks of the week
As London Design Festival kicks off in the capital, it's a week of appointments and parties for our editors
-
Five of the biggest art exhibitions to see in London in 2026
From Marilyn Monroe, to David Hockney and Tracey Emin – get these art exhibitions in your diary now
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the week
With the return of back-to-school, it's back to business for the Wallpaper* team, who’ve been making the rounds at fashion pop-ups and pavilion launches. Elsewhere, we’ve been indulging in new literature and old restaurants, and taking in a farewell exhibition at a landmark gallery...
-
From art to fashion, and back again: Jonathan Schofield’s figurative work is back in style
After graduating from London’s Royal College of Art, Jonathan Schofield began a career as a creative director at Stella McCartney. Now, he has returned to his first love, painting
-
Watch: artist Shezad Dawood lights up The Gaumont, King’s Road’s creatively focused new hub
In our short film, meet the artist, see his new work in the making, and discover more about The Gaumont
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the week
Here in the UK, summer seems to be fading fast. Moody skies and showers called for early-autumn rituals for the Wallpaper* team: retreating into the depths of the Tate Modern, slipping into shadowy cocktail bars, and curling up with a good book
-
‘A Single Man’ is now a ballet – we go behind the design
As ‘A Single Man’ is presented by The Royal Ballet and Factory International in London, here’s how its set designer brought protagonist George’s inner and outer worlds to life on stage
-
Artists imbue the domestic with an unsettling unfamiliarity at Hauser & Wirth
Three artists – Koak, Ding Shilun and Cece Philips – bring an uncanny subversion to the domestic environment in Hauser & Wirth’s London exhibition
-
Inside the fight to keep an iconic Barbara Hepworth sculpture in the UK
‘Sculpture with Colour’ captures a pivotal moment in Hepworth’s career. When it was sold to an overseas buyer, UK institutions launched a campaign to keep it in the country