Marseille Museum Opens Naturist Exhibition for Nude Visitors

Marseille’s Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations (Mucem) is offering a unique opportunity where the public can visit its Naturist Paradises exhibit while nude, apart from wearing shoes, to avoid getting splinters from the parquet flooring inside the museum, The Guardian reported. This initiative invites visitors to explore the social phenomenon of naturism by viewing artwork exclusively while wearing nothing but shoes.

Running through December 9, the exhibit is open for nude tours once a month during evenings when the museum is usually closed. The tours are organized in partnership with the French Naturist Federation (FFN). FFN official Eric Stefanut emphasized the necessity of shoes to prevent injuries from the floor's surface: "It’s to avoid getting splinters," he explained.

Naturist Paradises features a wide array of art from naturist communities, including 600 photographs, films, magazines, paintings, sculptures, and works from both public and private collections primarily from France and Switzerland. Mucem highlights how naturism, particularly in the Mediterranean climate of Marseille, has facilitated the establishment of several significant naturist centers.

France, with its temperate climate and access to three seas, has grown to be a world nucleus for naturist communities, contrasting with other European countries where naturism isn't as structured. Given today’s renewed interest in naturism, linked to lifestyle choices promoting healthy diets and holistic practices like meditation and yoga, the museum ties these themes together to emphasize their relevancy.

Kieren Parker-Hall and Alex Parry, two visitors who experienced the exhibit nude, described the opportunity as transformative, likening it to a "once in a lifetime" experience. Parry noted, "Being naked in England is seen as something a bit bizarre, shameful," contrasting the more accepting and envious stance for the naturist community in France.

Bruno Saurez, head of the Marseille naturist association, added historical context, noting naturism's prominent beginnings in Switzerland and Germany in the 19th century before spreading throughout France, especially in the southeastern Provence region starting from 1930.

Addressing a common question, a Mucem spokesperson mentioned that it feels intuitive for attendees reserving these special viewing slots to be in some state of undress, stating, "Anyone wanting to visit fully dressed during those hours might be considered a little odd."

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