Nudes Fill Museum for Unusual Exhibit

Thu Apr 7,12:54 PM ET Oddly Enough - Reuters

BERLIN (Reuters) - One hundred virtually naked women between the ages
of 18 and 65 displayed their bodies in a Berlin art gallery Thursday to
prepare for a one-day exhibit Friday.

Wearing only transparent tights, the 100 nearly nude models stood, kneeled
or sat down on the floor of the New National Gallery before a small crowd of
journalists. Bystanders peered in through windows from outside the building.

"It's challenging and aggressive for the audience," said Vanessa Beecroft,
the Italian-born New York artist, who said it was the largest such exhibit
she had ever organized.

"It's not pleasant, it's not sensual and it's not beautiful," Beecroft told Reuters.

"The models are not wearing anything, no shoes, no make-up or special hairstyles. I wanted to see if they could still develop a distance to the audience, as if they were part of a portrait, a human portrait and not just objects."

The women will stand for three hours in a square area in the center of the
museum during Friday evening's exhibit. They will not be allowed to talk or
look at each other and must remain standing as long as possible.

Most of the women responded to a newspaper advert. Beecroft said she
was not sure why they had come, but was happy that so many did.