US artist rallies hundreds to pose nude in Finnish night

HELSINKI

On the bright Nordic night at 3 a.m. on July 15, nearly 1,000 naked people streamed into the streets and beaches of Kuopio in central Finland.

As loudspeakers filled the night with instructions, the nude participants prepared to strike poses for the American photographer Spencer Tunick, acclaimed for his art featuring unclothed crowds.

"Today the land of 1,000 lakes has been retitled the land of 1,000 nudes," Tunick told AFP.

Starting in the parks of central Kuopio, the photo shoot unfolded as the naked participants occupied the paved pathways surrounding vibrant flower installations.

Then the crowd moved to the rocky beaches of the lake that envelops the city, with some participants laying naked on the rocks halfway in the water.

"I wanted to connect the body to Kuopio and the lakelands of northern Finland," the artist explained.

Tunick expressed his gratitude towards the participants who made his artistic endeavors possible, comprising of volunteers who responded to his invitation to disrobe in the Nordic night.

"It's a very rare thing for the public to become part of the process of creation," he added.

In November, thousands stripped naked on Sydney's iconic Bondi beach for Tunick's art installation aimed at raising awareness about skin cancer and sun safety.

Tunick also made headlines in 2016 when more than 100 women stripped and posed naked with mirrors in Cleveland, answering the photographer's call to blend art with politics and portray Donald Trump as unfit for the White House.