Artist recruits 300 people for nude photos near the Dead Sea in Israel. Yes, you read it correctly. 300 male and female volunteers went naked and painted their bodies white for an artistic installation aimed to raise attention to the Dead Sea’s dwindling.
They posed for American photographer Spencer Tunick on Sunday. He has created similar installations in other exotic locations across the world, including French wine country, a Swiss glacier, and a South African beach. The Tourism Ministry of Israel promoted the shoot. The shoot was 3 hours long.
All the volunteers came together on Sunday afternoon. They stripped naked and splashed white paint over their bodies in the desert outside the Israeli city of Arad. The artist positioned the volunteers and the camera for about three hours throughout the session. “My visit to Israel is an experience for me and I am always happy to return here and photograph in the only country in the Middle East that allows art such as this,” Tunick said.
The organizers are hopeful that this shoot will draw attention to the importance of preserving the Dead Sea. Israel and its neighbours have diverted upstream water sources for agriculture. The salty body of water at the earth’s lowest point is steadily shrinking. Since the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic, Israel has been mainly closed to international visitors. It is gradually reopening to vaccinated visitors as its caseload drops.
