Disrobing at the Dead Sea

September 16, 2011 - 3:07 PM by

One of Spencer Tunick's previous nude installations

Will 1,000 naked bodies adorning the shore of the Dead Sea do for Israel what thousands of sound bites and interviews have failed? Whether or not it’s the hasbara coup of the decade, Saturday’s ‘Naked Sea’ nude art installation by American photographer-videographer Spencer Tunick, will, and already has, created a salty splash around the world.

Around 3,000 would-be nudists reportedly registered for the photo shoot but only 1,000 (between the ages of 18 and 77, half women, half men) were invited to take part. According to Haaretz, the participants will convene on a private, unnamed Dead Sea beach, where the photo shoot will begin at first light on September 17. Everyone will strip off, be photographed and then get dressed by 9 A.M.
The secrecy is required to keep people who are not part of the project out. “Only the people on the buses know where they are going. People who aren’t part of the project won’t get there,” one of the event organizers, Ari Gottesmann told Haaretz.

The Jewish American Tunick, who has conducted group photo shoots of nudes at locations around the world, most of them at public sites, said that he was inspired by the region’s beauty and was interested in drawing attention to the need to preserve the Dead Sea. Tunick has been photographing and videotaping nude installations since 1992, and since 1994 has designed 75 temporary, site-specific installations all over the world, many of which have been to promote social causes, according to his website.

Some Knesset members aren’t so keen on exposing this particular side of Israel, with MKs Nissim Ze’ev of Shas and Zevulun Orlev of Habayit Hayehudi being particular vehement in their criticism, with Orlev calling the event “Sodom and Gomorrah”

The Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday that amid the controversy surrounding the installation, the Western Dead Sea Megilot Regional Council decided on Wednesday to withdraw funding it had promised for the Saturday dawn event. But even without that funding the event was expected to go on

One of the registered participants, 25-year-old social media manager Raffe Gold, explained to the Post that taking part in the installation means promoting Israel’s unique stance as a liberal democracy in a less-than free region.

“Tunick’s reasons for doing the photo shoot, highlighting the rapidly dwindling Dead Sea and a variety of other environmental reasons, are incredibly important,” he said.
“However, I am doing it because I believe strongly that Israel is the only country in the Middle East that could have a mass-nude photo shoot. This photo shoot is not just about freeing the human body but freeing the human spirit and allowing us to express ourselves, which is what Israel is meant to stand for.”
Whether it’s freedom of expression or borderline pornography, the Naked Sea will certainly bring to the Dead Sea a sight never before seen. Let’s hope nobody is turned to salt.

Tags: • Category: A New Reality, Art, General, Israeliness, Life, Pop Culture, Travel 

Comments

2 Comments on Disrobing at the Dead Sea

  1. Darlene Johnson on Sat, Sep 17th 2011 3:20 AM

    2. Disrobing at the dead Sea, makes no sense at all. I think the photographer just wants to become well known and famous, remembered. The only thing I remember when I see naked Jews is when they were made to disrobe and were put into the gas chambers in Germany. Something I don’t want to remember. It was a disgrace to all the Jews then, and doing this now shows the world that you don’t even care that you were disgraced and now you are doing it to yourselves willingly. It makes no sense. Its sick and its sad!! How Stupid this is!

  2. Lusik on Sat, Sep 17th 2011 1:53 PM

    3. I’m happy that the photo shoot took place, thought I wasn’t sure that the religious parties in Israel will allow it.
    It’s important to race awareness about the Dead sea environmental issues, but I think it might also help the Dead Sea in the New7Wonders of Nature campaign (the Dead sea is one of the finalists) – you may vote for Dead sea here: http://www.facebook.com/VoteDeadSea

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