The skin is a canvas in a virtual Munae exhibition

The National Museum of Prints (Munae) offers a peculiar gallery with living works that wander, give their own meaning to the ink and mutate over time. The virtual exhibition From paper to skin: Tattoo and engraving brought together a collection of images that express Mexican identity with dancing calacas, pre-Hispanic deities, demons and angels. At a time of boom and popularity, tattoos claim their way to be recognized as artdeclares the museum.

Curator Pamela Xochiquetzal Ruiz suggests that With the rise of tattooing within popular culture, it is necessary to take it into account within the artistic disciplines, show its historical and identity value, leave a record of the works that, in the end, are a sample of a living graphic.

The space also works to question the link with graphics, from the technique and the act of gravedigger on the skin, with some very similar processes, as well as styles that simulate engraving procedures.

The exhibition presents a series of drawings made thanks to the craft that turns skin into canvas and is invited to attend in front of the cell phone and computer screen to observe a selection of photographs sent by tattoo artists or the bearers of the creations, who responded to a call. launched by Munae to show works inspired by Mexican graphics. More than 70 images, including tattoos and texts, are displayed on the Flickr platform, organized in two parts.

Tattooing is an ancient practice, often linked to uses of identity. The museum adds that It is a form of appropriation of the body, of construction of identities at the individual and community level; In some cases it generates links between the different members and in others it is the element around which the community is articulated, since it organizes the body in relation to others..

In the first installment of the exhibition, made up of 46 plates, the famous skulls of José Guadalupe Posada stand out, as a symbol of national identity. The catrina with the elegant headdress, the skeleton with the charro hat or her serape on her shoulder were transferred to arms, legs and shoulders.

As part of the curatorial narrative, the controversy over the replication of images and the originality of some tattoos that reproduce graphic works or the design of other tattoo artists is addressed and whether it is plagiarism, appropriation or reinterpretation is analyzed. Initially, in the case of the characters from 19th century customs lithographs, but in the same way with lines that refer to pop culture or urban art.

In another section it is called: If we see the tattoo as a variant of engraving, we can identify styles that refer to different ways of engraving.. The art of marking the skin permanently thanks to needles and ink makes use of techniques that refer to woodcut, burin or linoleum, and others with direct references such as handpoke.

Pre-Hispanic deities, marigold flowers, axolotls and even the handmade doll Lele are an example of Mexicanness in the selection of the second installment of the virtual collection, made up of 28 images. This section explains that in Mexico the tattoo has been present since pre-Hispanic times, such as among the Mayans, who used it to represent status or punishments. Beauty and a strong sense of identity are factors that make tattoos with pre-Hispanic themes popular, it is explained.

There is no doubt that contemporary tattoos continue to be the living record of a cultural identity, which combines tradition and a vision for the future..

The two installments of the virtual exhibition From paper to skin: Tattoo and engraving They are available for free on the Flickr platform, with the MUNAEMéxico profile.