French Museum Invites Public To Visit Art Exhibition Naked, Here's Why

The Marseille Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations (Mucem) is currently exhibiting a comprehensive collection of artworks exploring the theme of naturism. In a novel approach to audience engagement, the museum invites visitors to view the exhibition naked, facilitating a more intimate and visceral experience of the artworks. The collection, comprising 600 pieces from both public and private collections, offers a rich exploration of the history and cultural significance of naturism.

"France is the world's leading tourist destination for naturists: its temperate climate and the presence of three seas have facilitated the establishment of communities, which - with the exception of Switzerland - have few real equivalents elsewhere in Europe, where naturism is practised more freely, outside established communities," the museum told the New York Times.

"Today, there is a new craze for nudity in nature, a craze that goes hand in hand with the quest for healthy, vegetarian diets and the use of natural therapies, meditation and yoga in the open air. These lifestyles, along with the rejection of the diktats that weigh down our bodies, are all keys to understanding the issues at stake in the naturism of yesterday and today."

Since opening in July, the museum's exhibition has attracted nearly 100,000 visitors, with around 600 attending five special viewings in the nude.  

Some participants were seasoned naturists, distinguishable by their tan-line-free and often weathered appearances. Others, however, had little to no experience being nude in public, apart from the occasional skinny dip. For these individuals, nudity was typically limited to locker rooms or intimate settings. Attending the exhibit in the nude offered a unique opportunity to engage with art and their own bodies in a new way-promoting a sense of acceptance or, perhaps, neutrality.

Naked museum events aren't entirely new. Similar gatherings have taken place in cities like Paris, Vienna, Montreal, Barcelona, Milan, and even Dorchester in England. However, Mucem may be the first major museum to dedicate an entire exhibition to the history, culture, and symbolism of naturism-a movement akin to nudism but rooted in principles of self-respect, respect for others, and harmony with the natural world.

"I always say that nudity is a tool - a very effective tool - to get people to achieve body acceptance," said Stephane Deschenes, the president of the International Naturist Federation. "But it's not the objective."

The exhibit, Naturist Paradises, chronicles the evolution of naturism in Europe over the past century. It begins with its origins as a groundbreaking social health movement and explores its modern alignment with the body positivity movement. The exhibition features an array of artefacts, including vintage magazine covers, black-and-white photographs, archival videos, paintings, and informative text displays.