Tattoo Art in Post-Migration Contexts
Project description
From ancient tribal affiliations to contemporary youth (sub)cultures, tattoo art has been a visual and visceral marker of exclusion and inclusion. This study explores contemporary tattoo art practices in Madrid, Berlin, Copenhagen, and Malmö, four European metropolitan areas where increased migration has presented both challenges and opportunities. The study presents tattooing as an everyday and participatory art form that can offer significant insights into postmigration life, as tattoo artists and clients must collaborate closely in the realisation of their projects.
The study’s comparative transnational focus offers an opportunity to observe local artistic expressions of the belonging and alienation common to postmigration contexts, and thus to cultivate more nuanced understandings of how the contentious migration policies of our time play out and are challenged in the realm of everyday urban life.