Nude awakening: Thousands flock to Story Bridge for dawn art shoot

A crowd of 5500 people, including some in wheelchairs, have braved Brisbane’s early-morning drizzle to appear in a mass nude photo shoot for US artist Spencer Tunick.

The Story Bridge was closed from 1am to 7am to enable participants to gather under its steel beams for an artwork titled Rising Tide, staged as part of the local LGBTQIA+ festival, MELT.

The attendance figure surpassed the 5200 people who posed for Tunick’s shoot at the Sydney Opera House in 2010.

Volunteers crowd onto the Story Bridge to take part in artist Spencer Tunick’s Rising Tide project.Credit: Markus Ravik/Brisbane Powerhouse

Participant Sarah White said posing nude on the bridge was “cathartic”.

“It’s my first time being naked in public, and yeah, it’s actually been such a great experience.

“You can see all these people around you from all walks of life, and it was really special to be part of that. It’s definitely something I will remember for a long time.”

New York artist Spencer Tunick directs Sunday’s photo shoot on Brisbane’s Story Bridge.Credit: Markus Ravik/Brisbane Powerhouse

The participants were asked to disrobe before moving onto the bridge, where they were photographed both standing and lying down.

They then moved to a second location on the New Farm stretch of the Riverwalk, which was also temporarily closed, and finally to a spot in Ivory Street.

Tunick, 57, said the Story Bridge was a beautiful location for the shoot, which he called an “art action”.

“The bridge reminds me of the skeleton of a whale, it’s so retro and unique. I think it’s fantastic to connect the human form to the steel bridge,” he said.

Famous for his photographs of the nude human form in public spaces, New York-based Tunick last year photographed 150 locals naked along the Brisbane River’s shoreline for his Tide project.

“This work with thousands is called Rising Tide, and it’s about having an elevated sense of inclusion and acceptance for all different types of people, genders, and just an overall love for humanity,” he said.

“I’m very honoured and lucky to find an organisation like the Brisbane Powerhouse that wants to help me give this gift to people.”

Photographs were taken using a high-megapixel drone camera and a conventional digital camera.

Tunick said all the volunteers would receive a print of the finished photograph in exchange for participating.

A projected video exhibition of Tunick’s previous shoot in Brisbane continues at the Brisbane Powerhouse until November 10.

Get alerts on significant breaking news as happens. Sign up for our Breaking News Alert.