ARTIST SPENCER TUNICK TURNS THE TIDE OF MELT FESTIVAL

26 SEP 2023

Brisbane Powerhouse is thrilled to announce New York-based contemporary Artist, Spencer Tunick, will be making his return to Australia on Saturday 18 November to capture a series of photographic installations as part of the city’s leading LGBTQIA+ arts and culture festival, MELT.

Spencer Tunick has been documenting the live nude figure in public with photography and video since 1992, boldly using bare bodies en masse to create landscapes that flow, contort and meld together. Tunick has organised over 100 installations using dozens, hundreds or thousands of participants, his camera recording these captivating art events.

The upcoming photographic series, titled TIDE will celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion along with the unique landscape of the Brisbane River. “I love Australia and Australian people. Being able to create works in a new city in the context of an event celebrating LGBTQIA+ arts and culture is a real honour,” says Tunick.

“TIDE will hopefully speak to diverse groups of people, and everyone navigating their way through the difficult challenges of our current world. It is a privilege to be making art that centres around the LGBTQIA+ community with all its beauty and vibrance.”

Tunick is now seeking participants from the community to take part in the photographs, which aim to celebrate diverse bodies and represent a more accepting and equal future.

Brisbane Powerhouse Program Manager and TIDE Curator, Emmie Paranthoiene said “This installation of Spencer Tunick’s is a nod to the true core of MELT Festival focusing on expression of diversity, and is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our stunning city”.

“Get ready to see Brisbane through a different lens. We are bringing the bare and bold to Brisbane with Spencer’s visit and his incredible series of installations.”

TIDE by Spencer Tunick adds an exciting addition to the already robust program of Brisbane’s MELT Festival, a fearless annual celebration of queer art, artists, allies and ideas. Back for its eighth edition in 2023, MELT boasts a vibrant and eclectic program featuring ground-breaking home-grown music artists alongside international sensations, provocative and hilarious theatre, exhibitions showcasing exquisite photography, textile art, installations and more. MELT will take over Brisbane Powerhouse from November 11 – 26.

Brisbane Powerhouse recommends that those interested in participating in TIDE by Spencer Tunick register as soon as possible as there are space limitations for this installation. Each participant will receive a print of the final artwork as a gift of appreciation from Brisbane Powerhouse.

TIDE by Spencer Tunick, as part of Brisbane’s MELT Festival, is proudly supported by Tourism Events Queensland and Brisbane Economic Development Agency.

All Images by Spencer Tunick: Dead Sea 2011; Second image, Kuopio, 2023.