Skinned

Description:
Skinned is a research on body modification as an expression of belonging. It particularly focuses on the tattoo culture of Eastern-European prisoners in the early 20th century. Prisoner tattoos are perhaps one of the most valuable ways of visualizing systems of belief and shared values in an isolated community. They represent a means of expression deeply embedded with visual symbols. Universal as well as localized, they reference social structures, stories, and experiences hidden from public eyes.

The video installation shows tattooed skin isolated from its proprietor, in an aim to free one from its own doctrines. Exposed, gentle, and volatile, the artwork stands in contrast to the raw and violent conditions faced by the prisoners, emphasizing the need for community and emotional bonds even in isolation.

The tattoos were drawn by hand and then used as textures on the 3D skin models. Most of them are adaptations of the tattoos that are part of the collection of Dr. Nicolae Minovici, a famous Romanian forensic medic who grafted them from bodies held at the Institute of Forensic Medicine.