3,200 Nude Blue Bodies Flood Hull Streets for Spencer Tunick

On July 9, 2016, at 3 a.m., 3,200 nude volunteers painted in four shades of blue marched through Hull, Yorkshire, for Spencer Tunick's latest performance. The work, commissioned by Ferens Art Gallery, celebrates Hull's maritime history. The blue hues were extracted from the gallery's maritime painting collection. Participants of all ages and body types gathered in a central square, stripped, and painted each other. Tunick's assistants directed the crowd with megaphones over three hours. The performance was documented and will be exhibited as a photographic series. Tunick, who has staged over 70 such works since 1994, stated: "There's something that inspires me about the relationship between the human body and public space. The natural, soft, vulnerable body against the concrete world: the contrast creates a dynamic that I find very interesting."