It’s not every day that you see over 5,000 naked people hugging each other on the steps of Sydney’s iconic Opera House – and if you do, it must mean that Spencer Tunick is in town.

Tunick has produced almost 100 nude installations around the world, and says his work is not about exhibitionism or eroticism but instead reveals the vulnerability of life in a rough city landscape.

But that argument has not impressed authorities at home in the United States, where Tunick has been arrested seven times.

His largest installation was in Mexico on May 6, 2007, where he photographed 18,000 people In Mexico city’s Zocalo Square.
Nineteen-year-old student Art Rush said he was thrilled to participate.

Tunick, who is famous for his massive nude group photos in public spaces, posed around 5,200 naked participants for more than an hour in a variety of positions on Monday morning – including getting them to embrace each other.

‘It was difficult to get the straight participants to embrace the gay participants and vice versa,’ Tunick said. ‘So I was very happy that that last set up finally got done and everyone came together (in a) united, friendly kiss, a loving kiss in front of this great structure.’

‘I thought it could be a bit awkward, but it’s funny because when you’re naked and everybody else is naked, you feel like you’re dressed, because everybody looks the same,’ said Steven Anglier, who wore a wig so he could stand out in the photo.

‘It’s really a weird experience because you think there could be something sexual behind, but there’s not.’

‘I’ll never get a chance to do this again; it’s not worth being inhibited,’ Rush said. ‘It doesn’t feel sexual, it just feels tribal, a gathering of humanity.’

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