ABOUT HARDCORE CUDDLE CLUB

“Art is about connecting with people on a deep, intuitive level.”  — Marina Abramović

As isolation and division are normalized, the Hardcore Cuddle Club practices softness as resistance.

Cuddling is not trivial. It is a radical practice of care.
A cuddle slows the heart, quiets the nervous system, and reminds the body that it is not alone.
Cuddling creates safety.
Cuddling creates connection.
Cuddling is love made visible.

Launched on February 14, 2025, the Hardcore Cuddle Club is an invitation to connect.

Do you want to cuddle?

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Nelson Santos is an artist, curator, educator, and the founder of the Hardcore Cuddle Club.

Through objects and shared experiences, Santos tells queer stories, cultivates intimacy, and invites moments of collective magic. His multidisciplinary practice spans sculpture, photography, video, installation, and performance, yet remains rooted in presence—centering the lived experience of the viewer or participant over the endurance of the object. His work has been presented in galleries, museums, and public spaces in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Spain, and Japan.

Santos received his MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is an AIM Fellow and Queer|Art Mentor. He has been knighted by the Imperial Court of New York for his art activism and currently teaches at the School of Visual Arts.

He lives and works in Brooklyn, on Lenape land, with his husband and their rescue dog, Timmy.

For more art/work, please visit nelsonsantosart.com