PHOTO: Getekend Door Het Leven
“Getekend door het leven” that is on presentation at Foam is a project by Levvel, an initiative that offers specialist youth care to children, young people and families. The art project motivates youngsters to express their thoughts and feelings artistically. Participants in this project have different backgrounds and receive different forms of help.
By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Foam Archive
A tattoo is defined as an indelible mark fixed upon the body by inserting pigment under the skin, and the earliest evidence of tattoo art dates from 5000 BCE. Across time and cultures, tattoos have many different forms and meanings. The original meanings of many tattoos are lost. However, body decorations such as scarification, tattoos and piercings have always been an obvious means of distinguishing individuals within a group, and groups within a society. On a personal level, a tattoo is part of one’s identity. Historically and culturally, tattoos have been applied both as marks of distinction (awarded for an achievement or signifying the transition to adulthood) and sources of shame (when applied punitively). Pain is an unavoidable aspect of tattooing and to many peoples its endurance was intrinsic to initiation. Every tattoo has a story. In the exhibition “Getekend door het leven”, we look at the lives of young people in youth care through word and image. They share painful memories, precious moments and signs of hope and expectation with the outside world. Some live with their parents and receive counselling at home or at one of Levvel’s locations. Others live in foster families, family homes or (temporarily) in a group. After an online introduction with the instructors, the participants came together during the workshops in Foam. The youngsters followed a poetry/spoken word workshop by Reinier van der Veer (alias: Dichtwater) to get the story behind their tattoos on paper. Afterwards, they were given a tour of the museum, led by Saroja de Robles, education and public coordinator at Foam. While viewing the artworks, they were given short active assignments, which broadened their knowledge of photography and allowed them to think about how they envisioned a photo of their own tattoos. The last part of the day consisted of a photography workshop. After a technical explanation of the camera and lighting, they started working in duos to photograph their tattoos.
Photo: From the exhibion “Getekend door het leven”, Foam-Amsterdam, 2023
Info: Foam Museum, Keizersgracht 609, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Duration: 9-31/3/2023, Days & Hours: Mon-Wed & Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00, Thu-Fri 11:00-21:00, www.foam.org/
