Artist Spencer Tunick will be able to photograph masses of nude people on top of the Woolworths in Prahran, after Woolies changed its mind and decided to allow the shoot to go ahead.
Tunick is coming to Melbourne as part of the PROVOCARÉ Festival of the Arts and will be shooting masses of regular Melburnians in the nuddy in various places around Chapel Street between July 7 and 10. The pièce de résistance was set to be a photo on the Prahran Woolworths car park rooftop, which would capture a sea of nudes covered in body paint and the Melbourne skyline in the background.
Woolies initially denied his request for the shoot, saying turning over its car park would prevent shoppers from parking there and negatively impact the business.
The initial shoot was set for Saturday, July 7, which Woolies said would impact its busiest shopping time. The shoot will now go ahead on Monday, July 9. There will also be a few car parks set aside for shoppers, without disrupting the shoot, though they might well cop an eyeful.
More than 10,000 people have registered to bare it all for art, and the artist is still taking volunteers. You can register your interest at the website.
Tunick has photographed nudes in some of the world's most recognisable locations. This is his first visit to Melbourne since 2001, when he photographed 4,500 nudes along St Kilda Road and the Yarra River. In 2010 he returned to Australia to create 'The Base', with more than 5,000 people posing on the steps of the Sydney Opera House.