I just returned from Battle Royale Tattoo near Novosibirsk, and it was one of the most unusual events I have ever attended. The organizers created a format completely different from traditional tattoo conventions.
It was a closed retreat exclusively for tattoo artists: no clients, no random guests or passersby, only people in the profession. Everyone stayed at the same location outside the city, by a lake, in a beautiful setting, and the program ran nonstop: learning, networking, critiques, and battles. During the day, there were workshops on various topics, from design composition and academic drawing to detailed reviews of completed works and social media accounts. For example, there were account reviews by Daria Pirozhenko and lectures on tattoo placement on the body by Stepan Negura.
At the same time, tattoo battles were taking place. In one, in a biomechanical style, Evgeny Pioneer did one knee and Vova Mult the other, then they compared whose work was stronger. There were also peer-voted competitions for healed tattoos. Every artist present got a paper and pen and wrote the name or number of the piece, and the winner was determined by majority vote.
In the final round of the Best Healed Color Tattoo category, the choice came down to my work and a piece by Andrey Kolbasin. In the end, my color tattoo took first place. Tania, @green.vesper, and I won with her large half-body piece. It was especially meaningful because the decision was made by fellow artists who use tattoo machines every day.
The format reminded me of the Baikal retreat after the Irkutsk convention, where artists went to relax at the lake, but here the focus was on learning. It was one of those cases where you are fully immersed in the professional circle 24 hours a day: discussing everything from technique to the philosophy of tattooing, attending lectures, debating, learning, and at the same time slightly competing. This hybrid of an educational camp and tattoo battle turned out to be an extremely lively and valuable experience.