Part of Sydney's Bondi Beach will be temporarily declared a nude beach, to facilitate a photo shoot by acclaimed photographer Spencer Tunick.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The US artist is staging a shoot on the iconic beach between 4.30am and 7.30am Saturday, as part of National Skin Cancer Action Week.
The Waverley Council has changed local laws temporarily to allow the event to go ahead, making a section of Bondi a nude beach for what's believed to be the first time.
Event organiser Scott Maggs said he's been negotiating with authorities for weeks to make the shoot happen.
"The police were like, how do we actually make this legal? They just want to make sure everything's above board and safe," he told AAP.
It's hoped 2500 participants will disrobe for the event, representing the number of people who die from skin cancer in Australia each year.
But about half of those who register for the photo shoots don't turn up on the day, Tunick said.
He told AAP participants should prepare for the early morning as though they are heading to the airport to go on a holiday.
"You are going on a trip to someplace you've always wanted to go... it's like a great vacation that's around the corner and you just don't know how good it's gonna be," he said.
The event is being held to encourage people to get checked for skin cancer, with many people putting off regular checks during the pandemic, according to Maggs.
"There's estimated to be a massive bottleneck of late stage skin cancers about to hit the healthcare system," he said.
Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, with two in three people diagnosed by the age of 70.
People can register for the event at: https://sofsc.com.au/spencertunick, with parental permission required for those under 18.
Australian Associated Press
