Sydney Gay and Lesbian MardiGras

Sydney 1, 2010

c-print mounted between plexi

71 x 89.25 in / 180.34 x 226.7 cm

Sydney Opera House

Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, March 1, 2010

Courtesy of the Artist

www.spencertunick.com

 

Commissioned by New Mardi Gras with assistance from the City of Sydney.

On March 1st 2010 renowned artist Spencer Tunick and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras presented an installation called, ‘Mardi Gras: The Base’ by Spencer Tunick. The forecourt of the iconic Sydney Opera House was transformed into a base of human flesh made up of thousands of Australians united from all walks of life.

The top image is the premier image taken from the installation, which involved over 5000 participants. 

Several other installations occurred throughout the day, with many participants filling the Concert Hall of the Opera House immediately after the Forecourt installation. Meanwhile smaller male-only and female-only installations took place in the Botanical Gardens, using the lush environment
of the gardens as a backdrop.

The second image is taken from the Lady Bay Beach installation, which took place on March 2 and was participated in by New Mardi Gras' members. 

All participants involved in the Sydney Opera House installation receive a limited edition print of the premier image. New Mardi Gras members who took part in the Lady Bay Beach installation receive a print taken from the Lady Bay Beach installation. 

A collection weekend for participants to collect their print will be taking place on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th August in the Playhouse Foyer of Sydney Opera House between 11am and 3pm. Participants will be able to collect their print on either of these days. Identification will be required. Participants who are unable to collect their print will have their print automatically mailed to them after the collection weekend.  

ABOUT SPENCER TUNICK

Born in Middletown, New York in 1967, Tunick currently lives in the Hudson Valley in New York State. Since 1992, he has done more than 95 short-lived, site-specific installations across the United States, Canada, and overseas, and his installations have been commissioned by SITE Santa Fe, New Mexico (2001); XXV Bienal de Sâo Paulo, Brazil (2002); Lyon Biennial, France (2005); Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Newcastle Gateshead, England (2005); and the Vienna Kunsthalle, Austria (2008) among others.

Tunick’s installations encompass dozens, hundreds or thousands of volunteers; and his photographs are records of these events. The individuals en masse, without their clothing, grouped together metamorphose into a new shape. The bodies extend into and upon the landscape like a substance. These grouped masses which do not underscore sexuality become abstractions that challenge or reconfigure one’s views of nudity and privacy. The work also refers to the complex issue of presenting art in permanent or temporary public spaces.