Want to know more about tattoos or simply admire beautiful pictures? Head to this tattoo exhibition in Barcelona.
Weekend plan: a tattoo exhibition in Barcelona
When I was younger, I recall seeing men’s arms tattooed with dark blue ink that faded with time. I used to associate getting a tattoo with criminals and rebels. Pardon the prejudices!
Nowadays, tattoos are sophisticated and widely used. Men do not wear them exclusively. Women can also display stunning (and not so stunning) drawings in black and white or colour.
Tattoos have always fascinated me, especially now that this ancestral art in many parts of the world has become an urban phenomenon.
Since May 18th, Caixa Forum Barcelona has held a fabulous exhibition about tattoos. No need to say that I saw it. Twice. I loved the different events I attended at CaixaForum, but this one blew my mind. Hurry up though! The exhibition ends this coming weekend, on Sunday, August 28th.
What can you see at the exhibition?
The exhibition features many tattoo-related aspects. There are a lot of sublime pictures of tattooed bodies and faces, as well as narratives about the subjects in the images, videos, and artefacts such as tattooing tools and masks.
I thoroughly enjoyed discovering how tattoos were used both in the past and present in many cultures worldwide (Asia, Europe, Africa and North America). It was a bit grim in some instances, such as the tattoo use in concentration camps and during the colonisation period.
But all in all, it was instructive. I very much enjoyed learning about how tattoos developed into an art form on their own.
Official website Caixaforum: link.
The entrance costs 6 Euros. It is free for Caixa customers and those under 16. This entrance gives access to all of the temporary and permanent exhibitions of the centre. Check out the website for group rates.
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday and bank holidays from 10h to 20h.
Past exhibitions in Caixa Forum: