TATAU - Freedom | Identity | Memories

Tattoos are one of humanity's oldest forms of expression - used throughout history to mark identity, life transitions, spirituality, and social belonging. In many cultures, they also serve as a living language between generations.

In TATAU we meet women from Tahiti, Canada, Kurdistan, North Africa, the Balkans, the Arctic, Asia, New Zealand, and Sweden, among others. Their tattoos carry stories of family, motherhood, spirituality, resistance, and cultural identity. Many of these traditions have been threatened or forbidden through colonialism, religious norms, and social change, but are being revived today by new generations.

The exhibition also highlights women's role in the history of tattooing - both as bearers of tradition and as active innovators of cultural expression. Here, the tattoo emerges as a tool for memory, healing, and resistance, but also as a way to reconnect with roots and create meaning in the present.