So far, more than 10,000 models have been presented on the festival stage. Competitions at our event are the quintessence of a tattooist meeting, and for the public the opportunity to see works at the highest level.
CATEGORIES 2023:
General rules of competitions and qualification of works:
- Old school/Traditional
- Neotraditional
- Newschool
- Ethnic tattoo (tribal, blackwork, geometry, classical Japanese tattoo)
- Realistic tattoo black&grey
- Realistic tattoo or with realistic elements of realism / color
- Graphic tattoo (lineworks, fineline, trashpolka, watercolor)
- Two-day tattoo
- Cooperation
– categories 1-7 will be decided separately for fresh and healed tattoos
– category 8 and 9 will be held on Sunday at the end of the day for fresh tattoos only
– all tattoos submitted as freshly done must be made during the event; it is not allowed to submit tattoos started earlier or touch-ups
– each tattoo can be submitted only to one category
– registration starts every day at 10:30 a.m.
– you can sign up for a given category only on the day when the competition takes place, no later than 15 minutes before the given category
– healed tattoos = open category, i.e. you do not have to have a box
– freshly tattooed = only for registered artists
– when registering for a category, the tattoo or its photo/design must be shown for initial verification. The enroller has the right to refuse a tattoo for that category or any category. In this way, tattoos presenting too low a level or not fitting into a given category will be verified.
– tattoos will be judged on compliance with the style and technical level.
THE JURY
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EXPERTS IN EACH CATEGORY:
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Old school/Traditional
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Neotraditional | Newschool |
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Ethnic tattoo
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Realistic tattoo colour
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Graphic tattoo
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Tattoo contests schedule:
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SUNDAY
11:30 Graphic tattooing (engravings, fineline, trashpolk, watercolour)/ healed 12:00 Old school/Traditional/ healed 13:30-15:00 Tattoo competition – Realistic colourful/healed tattoo 17:00 Contest – Newschool/ freshly made 17:30 Competition – Neotraditional/ freshly made 18:00 Realistic b&g tattoo / freshly made 19:00 Tattoo competitions: Two-day tattoo Cooperation 20:00 Announcement of results and prize giving 20:30 Closing of the second day of the festival |
TBA
SPECIAL GUEST – LARS KRUTAK
I would like to recommend and invite you to a meeting with Lars Krutak, an esteemed expert in the field of tattoo anthropology and cultural tattooing. Lars Krutak is a renowned author, researcher, and television personality, widely recognized for his groundbreaking work in documenting and exploring indigenous tattoo traditions from around the world.
Lars Krutak has dedicated his career to studying and preserving the cultural significance of tattoos. Through extensive fieldwork and collaborations with indigenous communities, he has gained invaluable insights into their rituals, symbolism, and techniques. His passion for cultural preservation has led him to travel to remote regions, engage with tribal tattoo practitioners, and document their traditions through writing, photography, and film.
With his expertise and knowledge, Lars Krutak has authored several books, including “Tattoo Traditions of Native North America: Ancient and Contemporary Expressions of Identity” and “Kalinga Tattoo: Ancient and Modern Expressions of the Tribal.” He has also hosted the popular television series “Tattoo Hunter,” where he explores diverse tattoo cultures worldwide. Lars Krutak’s achievements and contributions to the field of tattoo anthropology have earned him international recognition and respect. His dedication to understanding and appreciating the cultural significance of tattoos makes him a truly remarkable figure in the tattoo community.
We cordially invite you to join us for this unique opportunity to meet Lars Krutak and delve into the fascinating world of cultural tattooing. It will be an enlightening and inspiring experience for all enthusiasts of tattoo art and cultural heritage. The event will take place on Sunday in our Dialogue Zone at 3:00 PM. After the interview, there will be time for a brief chat or book signings. We highly recommend and encourage you to come and meet our special guest.
ZONE 90 – WE’LL BE HEARD AGAIN
American tattoo artist Dan Higgs once said that traditional tattooing doesn’t mean dwelling in the past, but rather nurturing something that existed long before and will endure in the future. It refers to a permanent state of being in the midst, not at the end. With that in mind, we consider this time to be the most appropriate to tell the young generation and tattoo enthusiasts about the beginnings of the scene in Poland, to share experiences and showcase achievements that many contemporary tattoo artists could only dream of. The primary goal of this undertaking is to pass on the passion to those who are capable of continuing what the veterans of the scene started and still hold dear to their hearts.
The zone will be divided into three parts: exhibition, workshops, and tattooing.
Our special guests of the zone:
Tomasz Skoczypiec, Visages of the Panther, Gdynia
Leszek Jasina, Studio Tattoo Gonzo, Szczecin
Tomasz Molka, Demolka Tat2, Bydgoszcz
Sławek Czerwonka, Bydgoszcz
Dagmara Nawikas – Misiuk, Tat Studio, Gdańsk
Jarosław Misiuk, Tat Studio, Gdańsk
Arek Małecki, Tattoo Jokers, Ostrów Wlkp.
Bartosz „Zielak” Zieliński, Tattoo Jokers, Ostrów Wlkp.
Karol Krawczyk, Black Star, Warszawa
Sebastian Junior, Juniorink, Warszawa
Grzegorz Małek, Guru Tattoo, Wrocław
Wiesław Wiktor Cisowski, Rajski Ptak Studio Tatuażu, Rzeszów
Waldi, Shockin’ City Tattoo Studio, Wiedeń
Osa, Waldi, Shockin’ City Tattoo Studio, Wiedeń
Anna Wronecka, Studio Tatuażu Tattooino, Inowrocław
Tomasz Wronecki, Studio Tatuażu Tattooino, Inowrocław
and coordinator and co-organiser of the zone Sławomir Frączek, Tattoo.pl, Poznań
OLD PORT
Old Port is a new concept at the Krakow Tattoo Festival. It was initiated by Ania Szymoniak from the Kia Ora Tattoo studio in Warsaw, who has been emotionally and mentally connected to the traditional tattoo scene for many years. The main goals of creating this special zone dedicated to this phenomenon are its promotion, community integration, and showcasing the unique atmosphere that accompanies this style. Approximately 30 artists from Poland and 20 from abroad have been invited to the zone. The full lineup will be available soon in the ARTISTS section. In the meantime, we invite you to visit the separate Instagram account: OLD PORT, especially for those interested in old-school style tattoos. One thing we know for sure is that you won’t be indifferent to this zone because extraordinary things will be happening at Old Port!
PPPiercing zone
Although piercing is often and wrongly perceived as an addition to the tattoo studio, this industry has been experiencing its huge boom for several years, and decorating the body in this way is becoming more and more popular. That’s why at this year’s Tattoofest you will find a special zone devoted exclusively to piercing, and the Professional Piercers Poland association will provide you with a specific dose of piercing sensations on its fifth anniversary!
In the PPPiercing zone, they will have the opportunity to pierce with as many as 8 piercers (Gosia and Agata z Kultu, Doktor i Corolik, Paulina and Julia, Agat, Patrycja).
There will also be no shortage of exhibitors with high-quality jewelry and care products. It will also be an opportunity to explore the training offer and have a chat about piercing courses. The association will also take care of the educational aspect, and its members Katarzyna Kwiecień and Aleksander Styś will give a lecture titled “The Professional Piercer – Who is That?” which we warmly invite all piercing enthusiasts to attend. Additionally, in the special PPP booth, those who would like to deepen their knowledge about safe piercing can have a conversation with association members who will be happy to answer all your burning questions. The icing on the cake will be the association’s birthday lottery.
The sponsor of the PPPiercing zone is Trust brand.
Patrycja – https://www.instagram.com/i_pierce_you/
Tattoo Championship Poland (TCpl) Finale 1st Edition
This year, we’re hosting the Tattoo Championship Poland (TCpl) Finale 1st Edition at Tattoofest. In a specially designated area, you’ll meet the thirty-three finalists who made it through the regional eliminations. According to the TCpl organizers, these contestants represent the cream of the crop of the new generation of tattoo artists and they’re about to engage in a competition like no other in the industry! Expect a diverse range of styles and top-notch techniques. Who will come out on top? Join us at the Finale 1st Edition of the Tattoo Championship in Bratislava Hall. TCpl is a fantastic opportunity not only to witness the art of tattooing live but also to meet the masterminds behind Tattoo Championship – Szymon Szumala, Tomasz “Toffi” Torfiński, and Max Pniewski. You’ll learn about the inception of the project, the insights gained from the 1st Edition, and the organizers’ plans for the upcoming season. During the finale, you’ll also have the chance to view an exhibition of artwork created during the 9th edition of Tofi Tattoo Experiment, held under the theme “Escaping Soul” during the Mazovian eliminations of TCpl. For all visitors, there will be a video coverage documenting the course of all this season’s events, as well as materials summarizing the participants’ work and contributions to the project.
LALAESIE
Ala is a self-taught dollmaker, she likes to let each new doll teach her something new. I find inspiration everywhere – in nature, art, and music, but most often in folk tales and bestiaries.
WORKSHOPS:
Comics Museum
This year, in the WORKSHOP zone, you will find the stand of the Museum of Comics foundation, where you will be able to see the latest publications on the history of comics in Poland, as well as selected comic albums by Krakow artists associated with the Krakow Comics Association.
Twice a day (at 12:00 and 16:00) we invite you to comic workshops, during which professional comic book artists will show you how to create comic characters, how to compose frames and entire comic boards, and how to narrate in this medium.
Graffiti Jam
As every year, we’ve planned a few dozen square meters for a graffiti jam. You will be able to see in action few writers invited by us, for whom we have dedicated the main wall. And this year this privilege went to the great trio:
In addition, traditionally, a few smaller walls will be created, where everyone will be able to leave a mark. All those willing to join the painting are invited to the outdoor area!
Gaming Zone
For computer game fans, we have a real treat: a journey to the past. Make sure to visit our gaming zone featuring games from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and the early 2000s. You’ll find over 20 stations with old-school equipment, including Commodore 64, Amiga 500, NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Pegasus, Vectrex, Atari 2600, PONG, and many, many more. You’ll have the opportunity to play the best games from the late 20th century.
Go gamers!
Kids Zone
We want Tattoofest to become a family festival and we never forget about the youngest. With them in mind, we always carefully prepare a large Kids Zone, where parents will be able to leave their children under the professional care of animators. This year, the Zone, like the entire festival, will be even bigger! The program of the zone includes face painting, artificial tattoos, colorful braids, twisting balloons, creating colorful jewelry, embroidering mascots, making postcards, coloring spatial buildings, games, and other attractions. In addition, as every broadcast, there is an inflatable castle with a slide. Plus soap banks, the Klanza scarf and many more.
Banana INK
What human skin and banana have in common? Thanks to BANANA-INK you can find out that the answer is: a lot! In a specially prepared booth for our guests, they will be able to test themselves in the role of tattoo artist and make any design using a professional tattoo machine on a banana peel (age is no important!). Its surface is very similar to human skin, so you can successfully experiment with contour, shadows and filling. Under the watchful eye of Sasky you will learn how to use tattoo machine and the basic rules of hygiene. We invite you to Banana-Ink profile on Facebook – you can find there an extensive gallery of banana tattoos.
WWF
WWF is an international foundation that has been operating in Poland for 20 years. Their mission is to build a future in which humanity lives in harmony with nature. What does the WWF Foundation do? For 20 years, it has been saving the most valuable natural sites in over 100 countries on 6 continents.
They are guided by the assumption that if you think globally, you should act locally. Therefore, they strongly focus on the national natural wealth. The Polish natural environment is one of the most unique in Europe. Protecting the wonderful relic Carpathian Forest, rebuilding the population of the lowland lynx in Masuria, preventing pollution of the Baltic Sea, proposing a wise and friendly law in the field of forest management and logging, or preventing the degradation of the most beautiful Polish rivers are great challenges that they would not be able to cope alone. Therefore, during the festival, the foundation’s volunteers will carry out a special educational and fundraising campaign. You will recognize them with their panda T-shirts.
DKMS
Can a person with a tattoo become a bone marrow donor? Yes, of course! A tattoo is a work of art that expresses your personality, it is the story of your life. Each of them has a past, often hidden and individual. But the most important thing is that it does not interfere with saving the life of a person suffering from blood cancer. Did you know that every 27 seconds in the world, and every 40 minutes in Poland someone hears a diagnosis – blood cancer? Everyone gets sick … regardless of age, country, religion, passion for tattooing, or reluctance to do it. Women, men, and children are sick. Would you like to write another story that will stay with you forever? All you have to do is spend 10 minutes, register as a potential donor in the DKMS Foundation database, and give someone a chance for a new life!
We invite you to visit the DKMS Foundation point during the 16th TATTOOFEST Convention in Krakow.
OUR HOSTS
We are proud and happy to introduce our irreplaceable hosts:
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Karolina, a native of Krakow, has been associated with the pop-punk band CF98 for over 12 years. Her musical career took her to the finals of the 4th edition of the X Factor. She is a fan of whiskey and silly jokes, colorful tattoos, and cats that she is allergic to.
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Maciek is also a Krakus by birth, and manager of Studio Kult Tattoo Fest Jubilat on a daily basis. You can find his texts and interviews, e.g. in Tattoofest magazine or Barrier Skateboard magazine. Maciek has over a hundred events in his event portfolio, e.g. Etnies European Open, stops at the Polish Skateboard Championships, and Jibb Jams.
- The times of the competitions may be subject to minor adjustments due to the number of entries, but the competition categories will not start earlier in the programme.
More info soon.
In 2006 we hosted less than 30 artists,
now we have an honor of hosting almost 400!
Have you already choose your artist?
