collectible body art: tattoos by lawrence weiner, peter marino and more hit the auction block

JOOPITER launches its first-ever tattoo auction

JOOPITER, Pharrell Williams’s auction platform, ventures into new territory with Inked: Tattoos by Contemporary Artists, its first-ever standalone tattoo auction featuring commissioned designs by sixteen artists. The sale opens for global bidding from October 22nd to 31st, 2025, at the platform’s website, while select designs will be previewed at Dover Street Market during Art Basel Paris.

Curated by author Sharon Coplan, the project reconsiders what it means to make, wear, and collect artworks that exist not just on walls or in collections, but on skin. Each invited artist was asked to develop a tattoo that stems from a core visual or conceptual thread within their practice, resulting in designs that are meant to be worn yet also stand alone as autonomous works. The diverse roster includes Derrick Adams, Thom Browne, Jeffrey Gibson, Gabriela Hearst, Haroshi, Stephen Jones, Titus Kaphar, Mickalene Thomas, Joel Mesler, Marilyn Minter, Peter Marino, Dr. Woo, Adam Pendleton, Tavares Strachan, Sarah Andelman, and the late Lawrence Weiner, figures whose participation underscores the cross-disciplinary reach of the project. 

Inked is A Tribute to Lawrence Weiner

At the conceptual core of JOOPITER’s Inked lies the reissue of a tattoo by Lawrence Weiner, created during his lifetime and released posthumously by his estate. Weiner’s contribution points to a longer lineage of artists using the body as both surface and site, where tattoos and printmaking share a material logic of transfer, reproduction, and permanence. ‘With Lawrence Weiner’s historic tattoo project as my starting point, it has been an honor to work with this illustrious group of artists to bring Inked: Tattoos by Contemporary Artists to life with JOOPITER,’ says curator Sharon Coplan. ‘This project offers collectors a unique way of engaging and living with art designed for the body.’

Caitlin Donovan, Global Head of Sale at the digital-first commerce platform, describes the initiative as ‘the ultimate convergence of contemporary art, fashion and collectibility.’ She adds: ‘It offers a new kind of engagement with artwork: not just to hang or hold, but to inhabit — an invitation to live with art not in your space, but on your body.’

select designs on preview at Dover Street Market Paris

Each unique tattoo design will be accompanied by a signed and numbered certificate of authenticity, along with any artist-provided notes for execution by a tattooer. One edition of each design will be auctioned individually, while a complete set will be reserved for institutional donation. Artists will retain an Artist’s Proof and may direct part of their proceeds to a charity of their choice.

Select designs from Inked: Tattoos by Contemporary Artists will be previewed at Dover Street Market Paris to coincide with Art Basel Paris, offering a rare opportunity to view these editions in person before they are acquired and, ultimately, transferred onto skin.

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project info:

name: Inked: Tattoos by Contemporary Artists

organizer: JOOPITER | @joopiterofficial

curator: Sharon Coplan

participating artists: Derrick Adams, Thom Browne, Jeffrey Gibson, Gabriela Hearst, Haroshi, Stephen Jones, Titus Kaphar, Mickalene Thomas, Joel Mesler, Marilyn Minter, Peter Marino, Dr Woo, Adam Pendleton, Tavares Strachan, Sarah Andelman, and the late Lawrence Weiner

auction dates: October 22nd – 31st, 2025