Acclaimed contemporary photographer, Spencer Tunick, brings his controversial art to Dublin this Saturday, June 21st, as he dares Dubliners to bare all. Tunick has been photographing the world’s wobbly bits in the name of art since his beginnings in New York in the early 90’s. His scene’s, or ‘installations’, which feature a sea of fleshy bodies in various formations, have spanned the globe from Mexico to Melbourne and now it’s the time for Ireland to get involved. Hedonistic, fun-loving Catholic nation that we are.
In conjunction with Dublin Dockland’s Development Authority who, along with the U2 Tower, are doing their darndest to make Dublin 1 a ‘hip and happenin’ spot, the, er, festivities will kick off at 3am and although no specific timelines are given, Tunick assures participants that they will only be naked for short intervals at a time. That’s a pretty divisive factor considering the monsoon rains that we’ve been experiencing of late – oh well, it is June after all.
Aside from the blatant weather hazards, the event is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes all body shapes and sizes. Fat or thin, young or old, Tunick’s only stipulations are that you be over 18 years old and sign a release form. Participants are assured of privacy throughout, with only fellow participants and staff allowed access to the installation site.
Now, I can see how privacy issues may be preeminent in oh say, Brazil, in June, with hundreds of bronzed beauties and muscle-bound hunks lining up to be photographed in the buff…. But in Dublin, with Irish people? At 3am after a long hard winter and a not-so-sunny spring, all I can say is that if it’s goose bumps and pasty white limbs you’re into then my top tip to you is to hotfoot it down to the docks at 3am on Sunday and climb the highest lamppost you can find. Or better yet, one of the cranes being used to build the U2 Tower.
After Cork’s installation on Tuesday, Dublin is the second Irish city to get Tunick Fever this week. Symptoms include an uncontrollable urge to drop trou and sporadic bursts of narcissism.

You may have heard of Spencer Tunick. Even if his name is not familiar to you, perhaps what he makes his name in would be. In three words.

Group nude installations.

You read me correctly! Quite a good few had been making the headlines in the past couple of years, and I recall reading on BBC news (I check this site just about every morning while munching away at my breakfast) about them, rather in awe of the participants being so comfortable with public nudity that they happily took part in these endeavours. En masse.

Last year’s installation, commissioned by Greenpeace, of “living sculpture” on the glaciers in order to raise awareness of shrinking glaciers due to global warming (or I like to call it global warning) was particularly striking. This is a powerful image of back to nature and reminding everyone that we have an ailing planet on our hands.

Anyway, I digress. Wondering why I am writing this blog entry? Have you guess it yet?

Yup! Tunick is planning Irish installations, not one but two(!) this summer – in Dublin and in Cork. There’s a call for voluntary participation at the moment and you can sign up online via this specially set up website.

Only over 18’s are eligible to volunteer and the installation will be taking place in private enclosed location. I guess that means no sneaking around to take a couple of quick snaps for blogging purposes either. Of course participants are advised not to bring anything of value with them despite the presence of security staff, and they will not be paid for taking part. They will, however, receive a free limited edition print of the particular installation that they’re involved in.

So dare you bare in the name of arts?