Hundreds of people strip naked on Australian beach to raise skin cancer awareness

About 2,500 people took off their clothes on Saturday to pose for American photographer artist Spencer Tunick on Sydney’s Bondi Beach in an effort to raise awareness of skin cancer.

Tunick, who is known for conducting mass nude photo shoots at iconic locations around the world, used a megaphone to direct attendees to various positions on the beach before many took a nude dip in the ocean.

The New York-based artist collaborated with a charity on the nude art installation in a bid to raise awareness of melanoma, the fourth most common form of cancer in Australia.

The Australian federal government estimates that 17,756 new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in Australia this year and 1,281 Australians will die from the disease.

Participants strip during sunrise at Sydney’s Bondi Beach for American art photographer Spencer Tunick to raise awareness of skin cancer on November 26, 2022.
(Photo by Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)

Tunick’s Instagram post explained that the participants had only come together in their skin, “watching the first rays of light creep across the Bondi Beach horizon, standing with awe-inspiring strength, honoring all those who have been killed or fought against our ‘national cancer’, knowing that we will be the generation to stop it.”

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The photographer further expanded on his intentions in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the world. More than 1.3 million people are diagnosed with it each year. It kills more than 125,000. Unfortunately, these deaths are expected to increase by 20% in the coming years , unless we do big, brave things to stop it,” he explained. “I hope my recent photographs with the inclusion of many skin cancer survivors will remind people of the fragility of life and the importance of skin checks.”

Tunick has also been personally affected by the disease, explaining that a family member recently had a melanoma removed and caught it in time.

Photo artist Spencer Tunick photographs members of the public at Bondi Beach on November 26, 2022 in Sydney, Australia.
(Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

One participant, Robyn Lindner, said she overcame nerves to strip down for the shoot, which organizers said involved 2,500 people.

“I was undercover (and) last night I have to confess I was thinking, ‘What have I done?’ But it was great, everybody had a really good vibe, everybody was very respectful and I thought it was really fun,” Lindner said.

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Tunick last directed a mass shooting in Sydney in 2010, when 5,200 Australians stripped naked at the Sydney Opera House.

American artist and photographer Spencer Tunick created the knot installation using thousands of volunteers posing at sunrise on Bondi Beach, commissioned by Skin Check Champions to raise awareness of skin cancer and match with National Skin Cancer Action Week.
(Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage)

When asked what his next project is, Tunick explained that he is trying to find a way to do a mass nude group in Asia.

“Every time a museum in Asia approaches the local government with one of my projects it gets turned down. I’ve been turned down in South Korea, Taiwan and Shanghai, China,” explained Tunick.

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He suggested, “Perhaps a remote island off the coast of Japan?”

Reuters contributed to this report.