The tattoo owes its name to the Polynesian tatau, which Captain Cook's European crew discovered in the 18th century. The evolution of this practice is the result of exchanges between countries, between marginal and mainstream currents, between centers and peripheries. Now overexposed due to the development of the internet and the media attention it attracts, the tattoo writes its contemporary history in sync with technological advances.

The exhibition Tattoo. Arte baixo a pel [Tattoo. Art beneath the skin], opening this fall at the Museo Centro Gaiás, follows tattoo artists and tattooed people through time and across continents to explore the confluences that have transformed tattooing into an art form and a global phenomenon.

Produced by the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, the exhibition brings together 240 historical and contemporary works from 18 countries, including paintings, drawings, books, tattooed silicone models, tattoo tools, masks, photographs, stamps, and nine audiovisuals. The exhibition is curated by Anne Richard, a prominent cultural agent in European avant-garde art and founder of the influential magazine HEY! Modern Art & Pop Culture.

An evolving history

Omnipresent since ancient times as a ritual element in traditional societies, tattooing was eradicated by colonization. Reduced to a purely punitive function in certain countries and despite becoming a symbol of marginalization, tattooing survived and was transformed in the 19th century into a source of pride and material for spectacle. By the 20th century, the international exchanges initiated by a group of activist tattoo artists led to the development of the codes and techniques of contemporary tattooing.

Throughout this journey from its ritual, magical, and social uses, we see how tattooing has emancipated itself nowadays as an artistic practice. Tattoo. Arte baixo a pel demonstrates the vitality of a contemporary history in constant evolution.

The finest tattoo artists today

As a new feature, Tattoo: Art beneath the skin allows visitors to admire works by some of today’s finest tattoo artists in an innovative format. The exhibition displays around twenty silicone models of human body parts, tattooed by masters such as Horiyoshi III, custodian of traditional Japanese tattooing, and Swiss artist Filip Leu, one of the most influential and sought-after tattooists worldwide, with a waiting list of up to ten years. The exhibit also includes pioneers in the introduction of colour in hyperrealistic styles, such as American artist Kari Barba; Paul Booth, creator of dark designs that have captivated musicians from rock bands like Slayer, Slipknot, Lamb of God, and Sepultura; and Dutch artist Henk Schiffmacher (Hanky Panky), who has tattooed stars such as Lady Gaga and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. These tattooed models, commissioned by the Musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac over the course of the exhibition’s world tour, represent a new way to preserve, study, and appreciate the art of tattooing.

After being exhibited in France, the United States, Russia, Canada, and Taiwan, the exhibition comes to Galicia, brought by the Fundación Cidade da Cultura in collaboration with the Fundación “la Caixa”. It has become one of the most comprehensive and attractive exhibitions on tattooing to date, a must-see to understand the impulse that drives humans to mark their bodies with ink.