This is a concept for a Tattoo Convention booth of the tattoo artist “Polis Decay”. The goal is to use the space to communicate artist's vision and perception of the tattoo.
The space triggers the curiosity of the visitor and invites him to “dive” into the artist’s world. The booth is formed as a leather organic tunnel, which assimilates the process of having a Tattoo through 5 stages; from the selection of the design to the final result.
The visitor explores the artists who participate in the tattoo convention venue, but suddenly he comes up against a black tunnel.
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The contrast of the black volume inside the open-plan space, attracts him. At the same time, the smell of disinfectant alcohol becomes stronger as he approaches the entrance of the Tattoo Studio (1).
The stage of the tattoo selection follows (2). Now, Polis Decay's sketches welcome the public to his booth. Concrete pedestals, emerging from the concrete ground, present his sketchbooks. The combination of diffuse and directional light, with the colorful projection of the artist's logo, creates a dark atmosphere which leads the public's attention to the spotlight; the sketches.
A piercing sound comes from the following room.
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Curiosity drives the visitor into the next stage; the “physical” experience of tattooing. A sound and kinetic installation uses the black leather to assimilate the skin's reaction to the tattooing machine (3). Touch and hearing have now the leading role.
He continues the path. The following room presents full-body interactive mirrors (4). The interactive mirror can be both a digital screen and a mirror, depending on the subject’s distance from the surface. Each one shows a different person with a unique tattoo design.
As the visitor walks into the room, a tattooed person appears on the digital screen. The sensor detects the approacher and activates the on-body, video mapping projection. He observes the tattoo taking form on his body. His "tattooed reflection" now looks back at him.
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The visitor keeps on walking.
He now enters the climax of the narrative, Polis Decay's studio. The artist tattoos on real time. The public meets him, while surrounded by a photo gallery with artist's selected tattoos.
Polis Decay is a tattoo artist known and awarded for his virtuosity in colored tattoos.
The colorful spots, the pink logo projection, the sketches and the tattoos, grab public’s attention in the mainly dark and grayscale interior. Walking down the tunnel, the artist's world now feels familiar to the visitor. Throughout the path, people interact with the space, which strengthens the artist’s brand and contributes to his popularity.
Special thanks to Polis Decay for sharing his perception of the Tattoo process with me, as well as his sketches and photos.
