Expatica news

2,000 get nude in Bruges in name of art

9 May 2005

BRUSSELS – About 2,000 people gathered in the heart of Bruges on Monday morning in their birthday suits.

They got their kit off to be immortalized by American photographer Spencer Tunick.

The mass nude photo session was part of the Bruges-based Corpus 05 culture festival, which kicked off on Monday and runs through September.

It was a very Belgian experience for Tunick, who said it was the first time ever he taken photographs while it was raining, RTL news website reported.

Despite the wet weather, Tunick took pictures of 1,249 men and 701 women in the historic Flemish town’s central square, with its famous Beffroi belfry in the background.

The nude figures were laid out in a long line, some upright, some crouching on their knees and others lying on wet cobblestones.

He also opted for the picturesque canals of Bruges, often referred to as ‘the Venice of the North’, where he placed 270 women in small boats.

And he took some pictures indoors, too: Tunick photographed 770 seated individuals in the recently renovated city theatre.

The rainy conditions made him modify some of his original plans, but he said he was still satisfied with the result and thanked his willing volunteers for being such good sports.

[Copyright Expatica 2005]

Subject: Belgian news