Naked on the Story Bridge? Spencer Tunick wants you!
American artist and photographer Spencer Tunick needs a few more people to be part of a mass nude photo shoot on Brisbane’s iconic Story Bridge in October.
Nude locals pose for Spencer Tunick's work TIDE in late 2023, but for his next shoot in October everyone will be on the Story Bridge.
It’s almost get-your-kit-off-in-public-on-the-Story-Bridge time.
And the good news is that you can still be part of New York contemporary artist Spencer Tunick’s latest work on Sunday, October 27.
That’s when Brisbane’s (Meanjin) iconic Story Bridge will come alive for a spectacular mass nude installation as part of Brisbane Powerhouse’s Melt Open – a new major festival across the city celebrating queer arts and culture.
There will be thousands of nudes (including, possibly, you in your birthday suit) in a celebration of diverse bodies.
This is the sequel to TIDE, a work he shot in Brisbane for Melt in 2023.
Tunick, who has worked in Australia before and done mass nude installations all over the world, will return to Brisbane soon for what will be a significantly larger installation on October 27.
The Story Bridge will be closed for the mammoth project, which will feature thousands of live nude figures in celebration of diversity, equity, inclusion and Brisbane’s vibrant LGBTQIA+ community.
Tunick has been documenting live nude figures in public with photography and video since 1992, boldly using bare bodies en masse to create landscapes that flow, contort and meld together. He has organised more than 100 installations using dozens, hundreds or thousands of participants. His camera records these captivating art events.
We caught up with Tunick last time he was here scoping out the Story Bridge and he was enthusiastic about the city. “This is like Venice,” he said on that visit.
Tunick first became familiar with Brisbane when he stayed here on his way to a shoot in the Whitsundays. He spent a lot of time negotiating with Brisbane Airport to do a shoot there but for various reasons that couldn’t happen. Such is the life of a mass nude installation artist.
“That was heartbreaking but I found I really loved Brisbane,” he told us. “Now I’m doing a two-year project here and that is a first for me. This one will start the relationship with the LGBTQI+ community here and build momentum.
“I love the Story Bridge. It’s an old-school bridge and it reminds me of the skeleton of a whale, so people will enter the belly of this whale and they will be set free to a new beginning. I see things in a symbolic way and that’s what excites me.
“I have never worked on installations with the same institution for an extended two-year project. This will allow me to deeply explore the city, its light, environment and its people.”
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner says the Tunick series is one of the many events to look forward to as part of the new Melt Open festival.
“We’re proud to support homegrown Brisbane events like this that celebrate our diverse community and culture, while championing the city’s world-class creative industry,” Cr Schrinner says.
“Melt Open is an incredible addition to the city’s jampacked major events calendar, that will not only attract thousands of visitors to Brisbane but showcase and support our thriving cultural scene.”
Spencer Tunick invites you to be part of this extraordinary opportunity. Go to:
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