Overview
The UK city of Kingston upon Hull (better known as Hull) made big news this weekend as over 3000 locals and visitors walked the streets naked, painted in four different shades of blue. While this sounds like something Tobias Fünke would inadvertently find himself in the middle of, the nudity was all in the name of art — specifically, for New York-based artist, Spencer Tunick's latest installation.
The artwork, appropriately titled Sea of Hull, is a celebration of the seaside town and its relationship with the sea. The 3200 blue participants, which came from 20 countries, traipsed across many of the city's most historic sites for installation and photographing. They even posed on the Scale Lane Bridge, an award-winning swing bridge that crosses the River Hull. The installation is the largest of its kind to be staged in the UK, beating Tunick's previous installations in Gateshead (2005) and Salford (2010).
Tunick's newest piece was commissioned by Hull's Ferens Art Gallery, who will highlight this piece in their 2017 program. Next year will be a big one for the city, as Hull has once again secured the bid for UK City of Culture, which they also hosted in 2013. The award is given every four years to a city that demonstrates the belief in the power of culture, and Hull City Council is promising to deliver a 365-day program of transformative cultural activity in 2017.
Having staged over 90 installations, Tunick's art has encouraged mass nakedness worldwide, including his nude shoot for diversity in front of the Sydney Opera House back in 2010. Other such locations — apart from New York, of course — include the Dead Sea, Mexico City and Cleveland, Ohio.
Via SMH.