The armored “Rhinocerus”, the rabbit or the praying hands as art on the skin. A fascinating special exhibition in the Albrecht Dürer House shows how the Nuremberg master continues to inspire the international tattoo scene almost 500 years after his death.
“I want to light a small fire here. If you all contribute with your artistry, then over time it can stoke a fire that shines throughout the world.” Albrecht Dürer, unlike today’s museum directors, was not yet thinking about participatory projects. But the hopeful comment, recorded in a draft of his painting textbook, is a fabulous motto for the current special exhibition in the Albrecht Dürer House in Nuremberg. The international tattoo art, engraved with motifs from the famous owner of the house, is impressively diverse evidence of how relevant Dürer still is almost 500 years after his death and how much he inspires the tattoo scene. Olesia Kovalchuk, a tattoo artist from Los Angeles, goes one step further: “Thanks to the tattoo, Albrecht Dürer has been resurrected in the modern world,” she writes in a statement.