Anika Katzengold had this one love – drawing. After finishing school she knew there could be no other way than gettin tattooartist. But yes, about ten years ago there wasn’t much opportunity. The scene was full of tattoo shops who praised hierarchy, which was not the kind of stuff she wanted to get into. Nearly nobody was treating their apprentices in a respectful way and after standing up for herself she got kicked out in two shops because of misbehavior. At this time she met lovely Litschi Melone for the first time.
That was the point where Anika decided to give a shit about tattoo studios. She began tattooing by herself, learning by doing. A new chapter in her life started to get real.
Traveling with a backpack full of her personal tattoo equipment to privat customers or as more or less resident artist at monthly changing places Anika was on the move through the viennese underground.
Her skills raised and after a few years she had the deep wish to stay at a studio, working together with other artists, exchanging knowledge and feel connected. But the problem was still the same, uncomfortable studio situations, especially for female artists.
Just a few steps away from opening up the Maschinenraum Tattoo Anika passed her tattoo exams for being an official tattoo artist – but as things sometimes turn out completely different as we think – she got pregnant with her first child in 2012.
Finding herself in the role of being mom 9 months later wasn’t easy. Anika utilized every free minute to tattoo somewhere till her second child came.
And still there was this dream in her head. She met Litschi Melone in 2016 a second time and catched her for opening up an own tattoo studio as a female artist team. Anika found a nice space at the Schweglerstrasse very soon and with many helping hands and artists of other disciplines they built up the Maschinenraum. Verena, Stranded Ghost, got the third woman in the starters team.
Two years later needs changed and so also the team changed. The Maschinenraum Crew got together as what it is now – Anika Katzengold * Ju.laika * Hannah Avocadopapi – as resident artists of Maschinenraum – doing what they love in their artistic way of tattooing.
Maschinenraum 