NICK MORTE NICK MORTE

NICK MORTE IS A RESPECTED TATTOO ARTIST AND PAINTER WORKING IN OSLO. HE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH TATTOO AT INFERNO METAL FESTIVAL FOR YEARS. IN 2024 HE WILL ALSO TAKE ON THE TASK AS ART CURATOR. LET'S FIND OUT WHAT WE CAN EXPECT AT INFERNO 2024.

NICK MORTE IS A RESPECTED TATTOO ARTIST AND PAINTER WORKING IN OSLO. HE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH TATTOO AT INFERNO METAL FESTIVAL FOR YEARS. IN 2024 HE WILL ALSO TAKE ON THE TASK AS ART CURATOR. LET'S FIND OUT WHAT WE CAN EXPECT AT INFERNO 2024.

Hi Nick, you have been part of the Inferno festival, brewing the Tattoo Fair and for many years, and now coordinating the Art Expo in addition to that. Tell us about your journey with Inferno. How long have you been a part of it, and what have been your most memorable experiences as part of the event?

- I have been a part of the festival since 2011. I had just moved to Norway and was working at Lucky 7 Tattoos studio when I got invited to participate in a tattoo fair with them. We had a few stands in the right wing of Rockefeller and it was very small. I immediately became friends with Hilde Hammer, one of the organizers, and, without thinking much about it, I ended up helping her setting up the stands and cleaning the venue after the show. Somehow, we ended up doing it over again a year after, and it has eventually turned into the routine: Hilde was relying on my experience as a professional tattoo artist to make sure that tattoo area is clean and tidy, up to medical standards. It was amazing to witness that little tattoo corner growing every year, and very soon we were able to have our own crew, led by Katta Skorupska and “Dosen Of Chosen” tattoo artists, curated by Hilde.

In 2015, me, Trine Grimm and Linda K Røed took it to another level with the “Circle Noir” art exhibition in the Inferno Conference hall, where we replaced the art on the hotel walls with our artworks. That’s when I first felt that this thing that we do, collectively, is growing into something bigger than us.

Sadly, Hilde became sick shortly after that and passed away in 2018, which was very hard on all of us. I was living through my own nightmare at that time, being forced out of Norway, fighting the migration authorities for my right to be Me. While staying in touch with the crew and Hilde until her final months, I often felt discouraged, but she was so positive about the future of the festival, giving us hope and motivation to continue moving forward.

I was able to return to Norway just a few weeks after Hilde left for Valhalla, and the 2019 edition of the Tattoo Fair was truly beautiful and touching for all of us. I have painted Hilde’s portrait for an improvised memorial, so she was smiling, watching over the Tattoo Fair.

Can you describe how Inferno has transformed over the years into the event it is today? Are there any significant changes or developments you have witnessed?

- The beautiful thing about the festival is that it has always had this special atmosphere that never changed. The transformations that we experienced through the years came organically, as our audience was growing up with us. Of course, the significance of these developments cannot be underestimated: we have the whole mini tattoo convention at Rockefeller and great visual artists presenting their works at the festival; but we’ve been working hard on accomplishing those goals, for a long time. Those changes were planned and worked on for years, fuelled by collective efforts. I feel that the professionalism of our teams is the main force that’s pushing the show upwards, steady and solid.

What in your opinion drives the general interest in art and tattoos among Inferno festival goers? How has this interest evolved over the years?

- The visual component has always been very important in heavy music. From a favourite album cover as a poster on the wall, some of these artworks follow us through life, defining our appearance as t-shirt designs, clothing patches or tattoos. No one else knows as much about art as metalheads, believe me, and I’m happy to see that Inferno Festival goers dig deep into it. But besides the obvious interest in album covers and illustrations, I can see a growing fascination with fine art among Inferno people. So, last year, the National Museum had a booth with Kittelsen merchandise and they had a great response to that.

I’m also happy to see how much resonance David Thiérrée gets with his illustrations, so I’m glad he is returning to Inferno again!

- And when it comes to tattoos, of course, the interest always includes trends, but in general, Inferno people make very little spontaneous decisions. They know their artists well, as they do the research beforehand. As an artist myself, I appreciate it very much.

Could you tell a bit about how music and visual arts come together and enhance the overall experience for the Inferno metalheads?

- You know, Inferno might be the best place to observe the interaction of art and music. The most fascinating thing for me is the diversity of expressions within the niche that we, metal fans, occupy. Here, you can see old-school black, using beautifully rough, simplified expressions, right next to insanely complex shows, all of which use visual artworks in their own way. We don’t always notice it, but there is an artist behind every logo, every backdrop, every piece of artist's clothing!

Most musicians embrace the opportunity to enhance the experience with images on the screen and on stage, and some take it even further, using live painting as the part of the show.

Tell us about the new ideas rising on the horizon for 2024. Can you share any upcoming art events that attendees can look forward to?

- This year, we are putting together a big collective art exhibition at The Hub hotel, with original artworks from some of the best visual artists in the industry, I’m absolutely stoked about that! We have so much art at the festival now: excited to see Kim Holm’s artistic expressions, and Costin Chioreanu’s participation in the “Dracula Unveiled” panel at IMC!

We’re also planning on bringing art fusion to the “Tattoo Corner”, where we will have a bunch of talented artists working on collaborative paintings. This is something that I look forward to participating in, myself. I did it a few times with different artists, and, with so many good painters in the same building, I just can’t miss this opportunity!