An exhibition at Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture celebrates tattoos. “Body of Work” provides a historical overview of the genre, along with profiles of some of the most prominent artists based around the Pacific Northwest. And it offers practical tips for people considering getting one for the first time.
It also starts with something new for MoPOP.
The curators commissioned an indigenous colleague to help give the tattoo stories additional local context. In this small way, the show acknowledges up front that it takes place on land once surrounded by indigenous cultures.
“This is the first time MoPOP has made a land acknowledgement and we see it as important to fulfilling our mission of living our core values,” curator Amalia Kozloff said in an emailed statement.
“Globally, indigenous cultures have a deep history of body modification in all forms,” the statement reads. “We believe it is important to be allies to diverse voices in museum exhibitions.”
