News

Spencer Tunick wants Aussies to strip down for a nude photoshoot on Brisbane’s Story Bridge

The renowned American artist is seeking 2,500 volunteers to pose for a monumental nude art installation in October 2024

Melissa Woodley
Written by
Melissa Woodley
Travel & News Editor, Time Out Australia
Documentary photography of Spencer Tunick installation courtesy of Brisbane Powerhouse
Photograph: Documentary photography of Spencer Tunick installation courtesy of Brisbane Powerhouse
Advertising

If 2024 is your year to be brave and bold, then make it your year to go bare too. Acclaimed New York-based photographer Spencer Tunick, famous for his mass nude art installations, is returning Down Under (no pun intended) in October 2024 – and he’s released a call out for Aussies willing to strip down and strike a pose. 

More than 20 years have passed since Australia’s first exposure to Tunick’s creativity when 4,500 daring volunteers posed naked along St Kilda Road and the Yarra River as part of Melbourne Fringe Festival in 2001. He’s returned multiple times since, including to photograph 5,000 bare bodies at the Opera House during Sydney Mardi Gras in 2010, to shoot 100 beach bums in the Whitsundays for a campaign with The Iconic in 2019, and most recently, to capture 150 nudes along the Brisbane River shoreline in November 2023. 

97180078
Photograph: Don Arnold | Getty ImagesSYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 01: (EDITORS NOTE: Image contains nudity.) Nude members of the public take part in "Mardi Gras: The Base", an art installation by artist Spencer Tunick, at the Sydney Opera House on March 1, 2010 in Sydney, Australia. More than 5000 people gathered on a cool, cloudy Sydney morning for Tunick's first Australian installation, which follows visits to the US, Brazil, France, England and Austria. Tunick stated that the title of the work, commissioned by the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, refers to the sameness of individuals, regardless of their sexual preferences. (Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage)

This upcoming shoot, which will close Brisbane’s Story Bridge on Sunday, October 27, will be part of Brisbane Powerhouse’s inaugural Melt Open – a major new festival celebrating diversity, equity, inclusion and Brisbane’s vibrant LGBTQIA+ community and allies. The monumental installation marks the first time Tunick has ever worked on installations with the same institution for an extended two year project. 

Those keen to strip down for the shoot can express their interest here. Organisers at the Brisbane Powerhouse are aiming for 2,500 local volunteers and those chosen will be notified a few weeks before the event. Every model (yes, you’ll earn the title) will score a limited edition print to commemorate the experience. You can find out more on the Brisbane Powerhouse website here.

RECOMMENDED:

This Australian city has ranked in the top 10 trending destinations to visit in 2024

Alice Springs’ dazzling Parrtjima light festival will return to the Red Centre in April 2024

Need more travel inspiration? These are all of the best places to visit in Australia

You may also like
You may also like
Advertising