Tattooing owes its name to the Polynesian tattoo that 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 dominant currents, between centres and peripheries. Overexposed today due to the development of the Internet and the media interest it arouses, tattooing is writing its contemporary history to the rhythm of technological advances.
The exhibition Tattoo. Art under the skin follows tattoo artists and tattooed people through the ages and across continents to explore the confluences that have made tattooing a form of artistic expression and a global phenomenon.
Produced by the Musée du quai du Branly-Jacques Chirac, the exhibition brings together 240 historical and contemporary works from 18 countries around the world, including paintings, drawings, books, tattooed silicone models, tattooing tools, masks, photographs, stamps and nine audiovisuals. It is curated by Anne Richard, a leading cultural agent of European avant-garde art and founder of the influential magazine HEY! Modern Art & Pop Culture magazine.