The exhibition returns to the very sources of tattooing and looks at the revival of this phenomenon, which is now permanent and global. Through an anthropological, geographical and artistic approach, it explores the different uses and functions of tattooing across cultures and times.
At once an ancestral practice, "marking identity", an object of fascination and a contemporary artistic creation, the tattoo takes on a diverse social and anthropological role that has been the subject of varied representations.
This exhibition brings together over 120 historical and contemporary works from many parts of the world. It presents in particular 20 silicon prototypes created by masters of the art, as well as about twenty tattoo projects painted on kakemonos. In addition to the history of tattoos and its strong anthropological roots, the exhibition highlights the artist’s actions, exchanges between tattoo artists from around the world, and the emergence of syncretic styles.
- Exhibition curators : Anne & Julien, Founders and Editors-in-Chief of the magazine HEY! modern art & pop culture Publishing
- Number of works : 120
- Surface area required : 500 - 600 m²
- Catalogue of the exhibition available in English and French (304 pages, Co-published by musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac/Actes sud, 2014)
This exhibition has been presented at:
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, USA, from November 15th 2017 to April 15th 2018
- Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA, from October 21st 2016 to September 4th 2017
- Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada, from April 2nd to September 5th 2016
- musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac from May 6th 2014 to October 18th 2015
