Tattoo Konwent is a unique series of festivals dedicated to the art of tattoo, organised and run in various Polish cities for many years. Every year, each convention brings together thousands of enthusiasts of this fantastic art. On March 24-25, the third edition of the Poznań festival took place under this particular banner. From day one, the Poznań convention has been breaking attendance records. This year’s event was attended by 9,000 people, with over 450 tattoo artists from all over the country involved.

Such a large turnout was the result of the organiser’s care and attention to detail, ensuring anyone attending would remember this weekend for a long, long time. Every now and then we could hear amazing music – hardcore, punk, metal, African, electronic, you name it. Concerts by artists like Hidden World, Torn Shore, Lua Prete and Queenz of Steel attracted large crowds. However, this was not the only entertainment available. Between the concerts and individual contests, there were amazing performances on stage. The temperature’s stayed high thanks to the performances of the Pyrohex group from London, presenting aerial acrobatics and extreme acts with grinders and fireworks taking centre stage. During their fireshow, the gorgeous ladies from Mystical Tribes got involved, unafraid of playing with fire. Following this, LUQO – a master of acrobatics at the highest level. His amazing control over his own body and fantastic choreography deserved all of the applause given.

It wasn’t just the stage that held all of the attractions, with every step forward revealing something new. Automobile fans were attracted by the Hot Ball zone, with custom cars and motorcycles. For those interested in art, outside of tattooing, a special exhibition zone was created with the works of Tomasz Strzałkowski, Damian Dymas, Beyger and Bestiarium D all on show. Additionally, the gentlemen in attendance could refresh their hairstyles thanks to the talented barbers from the Buttercut barber show. The ladies (and others!) attracted to the fashion and design zones, in turn. Everyone could rest in the chill zone and eat well in the open air – with several food trucks in attendance also.

This year, the Banana Ink stand let anyone and everyone, regardless of their age, try their hand as a tattoo artist – with airbrushing! Following last years success, Tattoo Konwent again ran their “Tattoo In The Dark” attraction, which is becoming more and more popular. The person sitting for the tattoo does not know what they are getting until the very last moment, as they are sat with their tattoo hidden by a curtain! The organisers prepared 15 tickets for the price of PLN 399, with those who purchased them able to enjoy their surprise tattoo! The artists behind the black curtain were: Dymas, Crystal Heart Tattoo and Marcelina Urbańska.

Another notable event was the competition “Kids Tattoo Their Parents” where tattooers from Zajawa Tattoo Studio carried out designs created by children up to ten years old. The winning designs were selected from the children’s work, created prior to the event. On the second day of the convention, presentations of designs tattooed on the parent’s body took place, as well as a ceremonial awarding of prizes for children. The family atmosphere is what distinguishes the events of the Tattoo Konwent series. Although tattoo festivals used to be more associated with scary-looking gentlemen in leather vests, they are now a friendly event for parents coming with their children. For a whole two days in a special children zone, professional and full of energy animators made time and provided entertainment for the youngest attendees. The convention really emphasised and carried out with their slogan – “Join the family”. In connection with this, a special charity event was organised, resulting in the festival organisers donating at least PLN 5,000 to the SOS Wioska Dziecięce association.

“This time, the number of participants is not just a statistic. Attendance has influenced the amount that Tattoo Konwent will donate to the SOS Wioska Dziecięce association. Today we know that it will be at least PLN 5,000. We transfer PLN 1 for every ticket sold. This amount we raised PLN 4,488. Money was also collected when signing up for competitions – participants willingly donating to the can, which we transferred to the foundation. At least 569 people supported the association with at least one zloty. However, most were far more generous.” – Marcin Pacześny, the main organiser of the convention.

However, let’s return to the main premise of the festival, which is to select the best works made or presented during these two days. In eleven competition categories, the jury consisted of: Aleksandra Kozubska – founder of the Pretty Things Tattoo studio, Jarek Goraj Gorajek – founder of the Goraj Tattoo Studio and Łukasz Smyku Siemieniewicz – founder of Dead Body Tattoo Studio. They judged over 569 entries for 31 selected prizes. From all the work submitted, one tattoo was awarded “Best of the Show”.
Below are the winners of the competitions:

This article for Tattoo Fan Magazine was created by Maria Śmigiel
All images by Błażej Michalczyk, courtesy of Tattoo Konwent