The Tätowierkunst e.V. (abbreviated as TK) is an association of German

tattoo artist A tattoo artist (also tattooer or tattooist) is an individual who applies permanent decorative tattoos, often in an established business called a "tattoo shop", "tattoo studio" or "tattoo parlour". Tattoo artists usually learn their craft via an ...

s registered as a formal organization in 2000. The organization promotes recognition of

tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing processes ...

ing as a form of

fine art In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function (such as ...

and

cultural heritage Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by socie ...

. It hosts educational events and art exhibits, and it encourages scientific research related to tattooing. It has also advocated for tattoo artists to be eligible for the German Artists' Social Security Fund.

History

In 1977,

Manfred Kohrs Manfred Kohrs (born 24 January 1957) is a German tattooist and conceptual artist, who has been tattooing since 1974. He was a student of Horst Streckenbach ("Tattoo Samy") (5 August 1926 – 27 June 2001). Together they developed the barbell ...

founded the first German tattoo artists' association, the ''National Tattoo Club Germany'', "to have tattooing recognized as a form of visual art", although it was not a registered association. Among the founding members were

Horst Streckenbach Horst Streckenbach "Tattoo Samy" (August 5, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was a well-known German tattoo artist and historian of the medium, who had been tattooing since 1946. Streckenbach is considered important in the development of tattooing in Germ ...

and Theodor Vetter. This association became the

Expo 2000 Expo 2000 was a World Expo held in Hanover, Germany from 1 June to 31 October 2000. It was located on the Hanover Fairground (Messegelände Hannover), which is the largest exhibition ground in the world. Initially, some 40 million people were ...

, through entry in the

Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...

association register, the ''KUNSTverein 2000 e.V.'', which was renamed ''Tätowierkunst e.V.'' at a special association meeting on December 2, 2018 and subsequently attained charitable status. After 18 years, Kohrs handed over the presidency to Heiko Gantenberg, who continued to promote the idea of establishing tattooing as a form of visual art and recognizing it as an intangible cultural heritage. With the election of chairwoman Tanina Palazzolo, the association's headquarters moved to

Münster Münster (; ) is an independent city#Germany, independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a ...

in June 2021. Members include tattoo artists,

art historians The history of art focuses on objects made by humans for any number of spiritual, narrative, philosophical, symbolic, conceptual, documentary, decorative, and even functional and other purposes, but with a primary emphasis on its aesthetics ...

lawyers A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as wel ...

, and

scientists A scientist is a person who researches to advance knowledge in an area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engaged in the philosophical study of nature ...

. The TK is "part of the Council of European Tattoo Associations (CETA), a kind of round table for the industry at European level." TK Hauptversammlung 2022 Norman Gosch

″The Tätowierkunst e. V. is a German association for the promotion of art and culture in the field of tattoo art. It is the first and currently the only association dedicated to this art form and its establishment as a manifestation of the visual arts in the German-speaking world; it thus takes a pioneering role″.

Advocacy

The concept of the TK includes the establishment of tattooing as a manifestation of fine art and recognition as an intangible cultural heritage. The purpose of the statute is realized in particular by holding events and exhibitions on German art of tattooing and promoting scientific research in the field of tattooing, lectures and seminars are also offered. Furthermore, the association is involved in relation to the possibility of tattooing being recognized as an art form in the commercial and tax sense. The possibility of including tattoo artists in the German Artists' Social Security Fund (''Künstlersozialkasse'') is also being promoted by TK. The TK is supported by several members of the

Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet (assembly), Diet") is the lower house of the Germany, German Federalism in Germany, federal parliament. It is the only constitutional body of the federation directly elected by the German people. The Bundestag wa ...

, such as

Roderich Kiesewetter Roderich Kiesewetter (born 11 September 1963) is a former Bundeswehr general staff officer and politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who has been serving as a member of the German Bundestag since 2009. Early life and career After p ...

Saskia Ludwig Saskia Ludwig (born 23 May 1968) is a German politician. Born in Potsdam, in the Bezirk Potsdam of East Germany, she represents the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). She has served as a member of the Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal ...

, and

Helge Lindh Helge Frederik Lindh (born 6 December 1976) is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) who has been serving as a member of the Bundestag since 2017, representing the Wuppertal I district. Political career Lindh became a member ...

Exhibitions

* 2021: ''Unlocked Art exhibition.'' * 2021: Gallery Night: ''Road to Tattoo. '' Berlin September 24, 2021 * 2022: ''Tätowierkünstler Zeichnungen'', Vanni Prison, Olli Rose and Jens Gössling. * 2022: ''DAYGLO EXTRAVAGANZA.'' A black light group exhibition presented by TK and No Pain No Gain tattoos Ulm. * 2022: ''Glaube-Liebe-Hoffnung'' The exhibition was initially to be shown as an art and culture exhibition from October 29, 2022 to November 25, 2022 in the Church of the Resurrection in Marl. However, the exhibition was canceled at short notice by the parish management due to minor structural defects in the church and the TK took over the execution itself. On October 29, 2022, the vernissage of the exhibition ''Glaube , Liebe , Hoffnung'' instead. The city of Marl granted the TK cultural funding for this art event.''Mother Theresa and Jesus on a skateboard: tattoo artists exhibit art.'' In:

Marler Zeitung Marler is an English surname. Notable people with the surname include: * George Carlyle Marler (1901–1981), Canadian politician * Herbert Meredith Marler (1876–1940), Canadian politician and diplomat * Joe Marler (born 1990), English Rugby u ...

of November 27, 2022. (in German) * 2023: ''Erich Haeckel tätowiert von Myriam Black''

Museum Folkwang Museum Folkwang is a major collection of 19th- and 20th-century art in Essen, Germany. The museum was established in 1922 by merging the Essener Kunstmuseum, which was founded in 1906, and the private Folkwang Museum of the collector and patr ...

, April 13, 2023

Selected bibliography

* Manfred Kohrs, Steven Wrigley, Terry Manton, Lal Hardy: ''Tattoo Clubs and Associations - A European Review.'' In: ''Tattoo Kulture Magazine'' 49, March 2022, pp. 12–20. (in German) * Christa Appel, MA: ''Tätowierkunst e.V.'' In: Tattoo Kulture Magazine 49, March 2022, pp. 21–24. (in German)

References

External links

* Lilian Brys
''Gelsenkirchen gallery presents tattoo art exhibition''
in

Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung The ''Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung'' (''WAZ'') is a commercial newspaper from Essen, Germany, published by Funke Mediengruppe. History and profile ''Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung'' was founded by Erich Brost and first published 3 April 1 ...

of August 26, 2021. (german) *

Eröffnungsrede zur Aktion „Erich Haeckel tätowiert von Myriam Black“
April 13, 2023 (german) * Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation
Talk zur »Grünen Moderne. Die neue Sicht auf Pflanzen« – Botanik, Körper und Geschlechterimagination. Mit Till Pulpanek und Dr. Ole Wittmann
Corboud. October 25, 2023 (german) {{Tattoo Münster Arts organisations based in Germany German contemporary art 2000 establishments in Germany Arts organizations established in 2000