Pharrell Williams's auction platform JOOPITER launches its first standalone tattoo auction, "Inked: Tattoos by Contemporary Artists," featuring commissioned designs by sixteen artists including Derrick Adams, Thom Browne, Jeffrey Gibson, and the late Lawrence Weiner. Curated by Sharon Coplan, the sale runs from October 22nd to 31st, 2025, with select designs previewed at Dover Street Market during Art Basel Paris. Each tattoo comes with a signed certificate of authenticity and artist-provided execution notes, with one edition auctioned individually and a complete set reserved for institutional donation.
The project redefines art collecting by treating tattoos as wearable, collectible artworks that exist on skin rather than walls, bridging contemporary art, fashion, and body art. The inclusion of Lawrence Weiner's posthumously reissued tattoo underscores a conceptual lineage of artists using the body as a surface, while the auction's cross-disciplinary roster highlights the growing market for ephemeral and experiential art forms. This initiative signals a shift in how collectors engage with art—not just to hang or hold, but to inhabit.