Barcelona Tattoo Expo and BAUM Festival

This weekend the 19th edition of the Barcelona Tattoo Expo. From September 30 to October 2, the Barcelona Fair has opened its doors presenting the best tattoo artists on the national scene and international.

However, this year the Barcelona International Tattoo Convention wanted to go one step further. For the first time the Barcelona Expo Tattoo has merged with the BAUM Festival (Barcelona Art & Urban Movement) and the idea of mmixing tattoo art with the world of urban art It has been a master move. With a total of 18.000 visits, it is proven that tattooing and urban culture are gaining ground by force.

Focusing on the space dedicated to tattoos, the Barcelona Tattoo Expo has had three hundred artists from thirty countries. Among the international artists we could see tattooing the great Robert Hernandez, «Macko» Todisco, Horimasa Tosui or Sam Barber.

At the national level There was no shortage of tattoo artists like charles fabra, Dani Martos, Ezequiel Samuraii, Jonás Masgas, Tomas Sanchez Piñeiro, Adrián Hidalgo, Javier Rodríguez or borja okami,

On the other hand, in this edition the Barcelona Tattoo Expo has wanted to pay a special tribute to the traditional tattoo. Guests like Su'a Lawrence (Samoa), SANYA Youalli (Mexico) or Matthieu Duquenois (France) They took out the heavy artillery leaving us all speechless with their handmade tattoos.

During the three days the Tattoo Contest, a three-day contest that culminated on Sunday with Borja Okami (Valencia Tattoo Obsession) as the winner of the Best of the Show . So the results were.

Best work of the day. Friday 30

• 1st prize Jey Freestyle, Dermadona (Holland)
• 2nd prize Fede Gas, Gas Tattoo (Switzerland)
• 3rd prize Fredy, Exotic Tattoo (Murcia)

Best work of the day. Saturday 1st

• 1st prize Borja Okami, Obsesión Tattoo (Valencia)
• 2nd prize Toni Donaire, Sacrifice (Barcelona)
• 3rd prize Zipo Hernández, Inkviati (Córdoba)

Best work of the day. Sunday 2nd

• 1st prize Oash, La Cosa Nostra (Madrid)
• 2nd prize Debora Cherrys, The Barbuda Woman (Madrid)
• 3rd prize Sandra Dankshta, Evolve (Lithuania)

Best of the Show: Borja Okami

Throughout the contest, a total of approximately 1500 tattoos were made, most of them large pieces.

Leaving aside the tattooists a bit, it is worth noting the number of exhibitors present in the room. From insurance for tattooists, drawing schools, suppliers of all kinds of tattoo material or piercing, care for the tattoo or even a stan to print your own templates. Another exhibitor worth visiting was that of siliconeartz, where could you find faux fur reproductions  of forearms, hands or skulls to tattoo.

The most extravagant bookstore in Barcelona did not miss the appointment either. Freaks set up his little stand with a sample of his most curious specimens.

And already entering the exhibitors of the most artistic field  MASK ATTACK  did not disappoint, exhibiting part of their collection of tables of skateboard fused with Japanese masks, the result of this combination was incredible. We also found an expo with drawings made by tattoo artists, all in pencil and in black and white. Japanese masks, pictures or the stan of "Looks are deceiving", a project created by photographer Oscar Quetglas to show that people do not change with tattoos or not.  The Joso drawing school He also showed what he is capable of with his airbrushing samples.

But as we have commented previously, this year there has been much more than tattoos.

One of the special guests, the Barcelona comedian Toni Moog, he made sure that on Saturday afternoon there was no lack of laughter with his monologues.

Ms. Stiller not only delighted us with her fantastic performances if not, he also gave Burlesque / Flamenco workshops. Oysters performances were the show of bondage with Monica Aln and Pepe Nudoss and Expreme Ropes also with Monica Aln collaborating with Pepe Nudos. There was also the parade of the famous girls Pin-up of the store Smug.

Of course tthe concerts were not lacking, On this occasion, Al Sánchez & The Speedway Runnners (tribute band to Elvis Presley), Olaf y los Bidones and Walk the Line were in charge of entertaining the atmosphere.

Among the most outstanding shows of the EXTREME zone, was the competition contesting the fifth edition of the Breaking BBoy Battle & Allstyles, one of the battles that gave more game was when the MC surprised everyone with the song "Wanna Be" by the Spice Girls. Skate, in-line and bmx shows were also not lacking.

Art on Wheels. For motor lovers they could not only enjoy a classic car exhibition and m that were breathtaking, but also with the best bikes. Several contests were held on customization of both cars and motorcycles.

And speaking of wheels, in the purest American style, the entrance to the enclosure was full of food trucks. From waffles to hot dogs, you could find what you wanted in the zone set with those vehicles that seemed to be taken from the other side of the pond.

As you can see, the result of this mixture of urban art and tattoos was something explosive. Tattoos, graffiti, art, sports and motoring all in one, an explosive combination that left no one indifferent.