Australians are generally considered to be an extremely open-hearted people. This is also evident when it comes to a good cause. Thousands of people stripped naked for an art installation on Saturday at iconic Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. The surfing beach quickly became a nudist zone for a day. Around 2,500 volunteers posed there together and stark naked for the US photographer Spencer Tunick. However, all the effort was not only for aesthetics, but also to spread a message: The art campaign took place in cooperation with a charity that encourages Australians to have regular skin examinations to prevent skin cancer.
Take off to draw attention to the danger of sunbathing
The number of participants was roughly equal to the number of Australians who die from skin cancer each year. Participant Bruce Fasher, 77, told AFP he has spent half his life in the sun and had some malignant melanoma removed from his back. “I thought that’s a good thing and I love getting my clothes off at Bondi Beach.”
Tunick is known for his artwork featuring nude crowds at well-known landmarks around the world. In 2010 he held a similar event at the Sydney Opera House. “It’s only fitting that I use my platform to urge people to get regular checkups to avoid skin cancer,” the photographer said. And by the way, the art campaign also looks simply fascinating, as you can see in our picture gallery.