Charity Organization Plans 'Regular Skin Cancer Screening' Campaign
Famous Nude Photography Specialist Photographs... Local Council Also Cooperates
In the early morning of the 26th (local time), 2,500 volunteers gathered at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, for a group nude photo shoot as part of a regular skin cancer screening campaign. Photo by AFP Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Has Sydney's Bondi Beach, famous for its beauty, turned into a nude beach?
According to local media including Australia's ABC, before dawn on the 26th (local time), about 2,500 volunteers gathered at Bondi Beach. Despite the drizzling rain and chilly weather, they soon stripped off all their clothes and participated in the nude photo shoot.
The event was organized by the charity organization 'Skin Check Champions.' This group promotes awareness about the risks of skin cancer and the importance of regular check-ups in Australia. With over 2,000 Australians dying annually from skin cancer, the organization planned this event to encourage people to regularly undress at hospitals for skin cancer screenings.
The American photographer Spencer Tunick, known for large-scale nude photography, conducted the shoot. Since 1994, he has photographed over 75 group nude works worldwide. Among the volunteers participating that day were people who joined to gain the honorable opportunity to become Tunick's models. Following Tunick's instructions, participants lay down and raised their arms, posing in various ways for over an hour. Bondi Beach is not originally a nude beach. Therefore, the Waverley Council, which governs Bondi Beach, temporarily amended regulations to allow nude photography for this event and cooperated with the shoot.
Tunick said, "This was one of the most challenging projects I have ever done," adding, "The ocean was so noisy it felt like there were 100 freight trains, but at the same time, it was such a beautiful place." He also praised the choice of nude photography as a very appropriate way to raise awareness about regular skin cancer screenings. One participant told ABC in an interview, "I had a melanoma removed from my arm and wanted to widely spread the fact that everyone should get their skin checked."
Some people were initially nervous about being naked with strangers but soon became accustomed. Participants counted down and undressed simultaneously. Another participant described the experience as "surreal. This will never happen again at Bondi, and it was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." After posing, participants also joined fundraising efforts to launch a nationwide skin screening pilot project.
Bondi Beach is located about 7 km east of Sydney's central business district, facing the South Pacific Ocean, which causes high waves. The name Bondi (or Boondi) comes from an Australian Aboriginal language meaning "waves breaking over rocks."
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