Tattoos have long been part of everyday life – visible on the skin, present in pop culture, design, and fashion. But what happens when tattoos are viewed not only as a personal statement, but also as an artistic medium? With the exhibition "Under the Skin: Tattoos in Focus," the Opelvillen Rüsselsheim Art and Culture Foundation is dedicating itself to this multifaceted phenomenon from April 30 to September 13, 2026, and offering a nuanced view of tattoos in contemporary art.
On the occasion of World Design Capital 2026 and as a partner institution of the MISHPOCHA. The Art of Collaboration project of the Jewish Museum Frankfurt, the exhibition curated by Dr. Kemfert focuses on the visual, cultural, and social potential of body images. Here, tattoos are not presented as a fashion trend, but as image carriers, as repositories of identity, memory, and biography—and as an interface between art, design, and social practice.
A central historical reference point for the exhibition is the Hamburg tattoo artist Herbert Hoffmann (1919–2010). For decades, people from a wide variety of backgrounds came together in his legendary "Ältesten Tätowierstube" (Oldest Tattoo Parlor): sailors and dockworkers as well as academics, politicians, and housewives. Hoffmann saw himself not only as a tattoo artist, but also as a chronicler. With great empathy, he photographed tattooed people and recorded their life stories. His impressive black-and-white portraits, which are on display in the exhibition, are much more than documents of tattoo history—they offer a precise, humanistic view of the body, individuality, and contemporary history.
In addition, "Unter die Haut" (Under the Skin) presents contemporary tattoo artists who have trained at art academies and see tattooing as an extension of their artistic practice. Drawing is always the starting point – whether on paper, canvas, printing plate, or human skin. Lines, strokes, and shapes are engraved, perforated, and inscribed, with the body becoming both a medium for images and a space for resonance.
The exhibition particularly impressively demonstrates how disciplines and media are increasingly intertwined in the current tattooing process. An outstanding example is London-based artist Michele Servadio, who combines tattooing, music, and performance art. In his series "Body of Reverbs," the tattooing process itself becomes a source of sound: the vibrations of the needle are translated into tones, the body becomes an instrument, and the room becomes an acoustic stage. This results in multi-layered compositions that make the connection between body, sound, and art a sensory experience.
"Under the Skin. Tattoos in Focus" is thus much more than an exhibition about tattoos. It is a reflection on visibility and intimacy, on inscription and expression—and on the human body as one of the oldest and at the same time most current sites of artistic practice.
April 30 to September 13, 2026
www.opelvillen.de
