The Australians love their nudity.
1. There are nude beaches near Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, with several that cater mostly to gay men.
2. The Meredith Music Festival, held every December in the town of Meredith, Victoria, features "the world's nude footrace," a sprint around the main amphitheater in front of 12,000 spectators. There are men's and women's races, with the winners of both competing in a final race.
3. In January, the Nude Olympics are held on Maslin Beach in Victoria. There are balloon races (couples carry balloons between them), sack races, frisbee contests, and doughnut eating contests. Contestants must all be nude, but spectators have a choice.
Contestants are mostly middle-aged heterosexual nudists. There's a Ms. Maslin contest, but not a Mr.
4. At the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, performance artist Stuart Ringholt leads nude tours.
He's nude, and you're nude.
He believes that you can get a new perspective on art by breaking down the barrier between you and the physical world.
But won't people be checking out each other more than the art?
5. Artist, Stuart Tunick, photographs people naked in front of iconic structures to depict the struggle between art and the natural world. He began in New York, but got arrested and fined five times, so he moved abroad. He has had exhibitions in Mexico, Switzerland, Belgium, and Australia.
In 2010, he got 5,000 to pose in front of the Sydney Opera House. The logistics of getting so many volunteers to undress and stand still for hours must have been staggering.
Here's the results. A solid wall of human bodies.
