Abigail Klein Leichman
June 29, 2021, Updated July 4, 2021

It’s been a decade since American photographer Spencer Tunick made waves with his Naked Sea series showing 1,200 people in the buff at the Dead Sea’s Mineral Beach.

Project initiator and social entrepreneur Ari Leon Fruchter aimed to draw world attention to the mineral-rich lake’s rapidly receding water levels. He hoped to spur corrective action.

Yet despite international art press and media coverage putting Tunick’s images in front of half a billion viewers, nothing happened to improve the situation. Mineral Beach was lost to a giant sinkhole, as was nearby Ein Gedi Beach.

Tunick came back in 2016 to document the disturbing change at the former Mineral Beach.

Dead Sea 1, 2016. Installation photograph by Spencer Tuncik

Now, Fruchter is planning Naked Sea Part 2 as part of the Dead Sea Revival Project he co-launched about five years ago to document the changes to the Dead Sea and share them through educational initiatives.

“You are invited to take your masks off, your clothes off, and to join us in this adventure,” says Fruchter.

This time, the photo shoot is tied to a crowdfunding campaign aimed at raising funds to fulfill Fruchter’s dream of building a Dead Sea Museum for digital art and sculpture in the nearby city of Arad.

The Dead Sea museum as envisioned by Neuman Hayner Architects. Photo by Ikonospace

There’s already a virtual Dead Sea Museum that showcased an exhibition last Earth Day from the international Dead Sea Life photo competition sponsored by the Dead Sea Revival Project and the GuruShots online photography platform, with Tunick as one of the judges.

“In order to attract worldwide support for the museum, we decided to bring Spencer Tunick back to Israel for another iconic artistic installation of the Dead Sea,” said Fruchter.

Want to shed your clothing for the cause?

Apply for the October photo shoot by sending an email to SpencerTunickDeadSea2021@gmail.com, including your full mailing address, age (you must be at least 18), gender identity and occupation – along with one clothed photograph of yourself.

If you are chosen, you will be contacted one week before the installation with meeting location, arrival time and further details.

There’s no monetary compensation for participating, but in exchange for posing you will receive a limited-edition print from the installation.

“The Dead Sea Museum aims to bring life to the region through architecture and art — as a beacon of hope toward a global desire to save the Dead Sea,” said Fruchter.

For more information on the campaign, click here.

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