Italy's Tattoo Capital: Mudec Milano Hosts 'Tatuaggio. Storie dal Mediterraneo'

Italy leads the world in tattoo prevalence, with 48% of adults tattooed, ahead of Sweden (47%) and the US (46%). To explore this phenomenon's deep Mediterranean roots, Mudec in Milan presents 'Tatuaggio. Storie dal Mediterraneo' from March 28 to July 28, 2024. Curated by Luisa Gnecchi Ruscone and Guido Guerzoni, with Jurate Francesca Piacenti, the exhibition features over 200 objects including archaeological artifacts, historical instruments, video installations, and prints from institutions like the Museo archeologico dell'Alto Adige, the Museo di antropologia criminale Cesare Lombroso, and the Museo Nazionale delle arti e delle tradizioni popolari. The chronological layout by Milanese design studio Dotdotdot traces tattooing's history from antiquity to the mid-20th century, challenging the notion that it is a Polynesian import. Gnecchi Ruscone notes the enduring mystery of tattooing's appeal, linking it to the primal act of making art. Guerzoni emphasizes that Italian materials reveal a millennia-old European and Mediterranean tradition that persisted uninterrupted until the 1900s.