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Going Nude at Berlin's New National Gallery - (not exactly eye candy, IMHO)
SPIEGEL ONLINE.COM ^ | APRIL 8, 2005 | Staff

Posted on 04/10/2005 5:50:12 PM PDT by CHARLITE

The New National Gallery in Berlin, Germany, mounts a new work by performance-artist Vanessa Beecroft. The show is as transparent as the modernist masterpiece building itself: the living models are all nude.

It isn't everyday that you see 100 naked women standing in the lobby of Berlin's New National Gallery. But on Thursday and Friday, a mass of women between the ages of 18 and 65 stood in the Mies van der Rohe-designed glass and steel architectural monument, wearing nothing but almond oil and see-through tights. The women are part of artist Vanessa Beecroft's new show "VB 55."

For three hours, the women stand -- in various degrees of slow-motion movement -- just 20 meters away from the museum's visitors. The artist discourages any movement -- after all, the women are meant to look like statues and create the impression of a living image. Beecroft, who was born in Genoa, Italy, and now lives in New York, has given them an entire laundry list of rules: don't talk, don't interact, don't laugh, don't talk to others, don't move to fast. Under no circumstances should anyone act sexily -- after all, this is art, not Playboy.

Models in Beecroft's "VB 55" appear before museum-goers for three straight hours.

With the show, Beecroft says she wants to explore the power of beauty -- not that of Heidi Klum or other supermodels, but that of everyday women from all parts of society. They're here, too, with red hair, brunette hair, blonde hair, you name it. The models are perfectly framed, too, by one of Europe's most exquisite examples of modern architecture, van der Rohe's museum for the city of Berlin, which Beecroft describes as the "ideal of modernist architecture." This weekend, it's also a great place for voyeurism.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Germany; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: 32acups; aaatheyalllookalike; arfarf; art; artist; berlin; eggmeetsock; exhibit; flatasapancake; gallery; germany; miesvanderrohe; national; nomorals; nudemodels; nudists; sockmeetegg; vanessabeecroft
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"This weekend, it's also a great place for voyeurism.

Having viewed the photos on the web page, I think that it might NOT be such a great place for voyeurism........but then, I'm not a guy, either. Still........it takes a bit of tolerance for the ordinary........

1 posted on 04/10/2005 5:50:21 PM PDT by CHARLITE
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To: CHARLITE

I thought you are suppose to smile when naked?


2 posted on 04/10/2005 5:54:27 PM PDT by Archon of the East (Pray for a GOP backbone now!)
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To: CHARLITE
With the show, Beecroft says she wants to explore the power of beauty --

Then get yourself married like a normal person. Is that so bad?

3 posted on 04/10/2005 5:56:03 PM PDT by SteveMcKing
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To: CHARLITE

Boobies are boobies.


4 posted on 04/10/2005 5:57:24 PM PDT by MisterRepublican
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To: CHARLITE
The people most likely to get nekkid in situations like this are the ones least likely to look good doin' it. :)
5 posted on 04/10/2005 5:59:09 PM PDT by Keith in Iowa (events of late have me at a loss for a tagline...)
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To: Keith in Iowa

Seriously, how does a sea of meat become more attractive than one naked babe standing in your living room?

"Beauty", my @ss.


6 posted on 04/10/2005 6:01:11 PM PDT by SteveMcKing
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To: CHARLITE

I'm getting awfully sick of fake "art," admired by all the "art critics" and paid for by the taxpayers.


7 posted on 04/10/2005 6:02:05 PM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: CHARLITE

Gosh... they all look so happy to be there... so edified to be exposed to the entire world... so liberated in their femininity...

Or is that humiliation?


8 posted on 04/10/2005 6:03:19 PM PDT by 60Gunner (vox populi, baby.)
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To: CHARLITE

Hope they don't keep it too cold in there.


9 posted on 04/10/2005 6:03:25 PM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: CHARLITE

And the impact of this "ART" in three thousand years
will be...?????


Exactly.


10 posted on 04/10/2005 6:07:31 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: CHARLITE

Can't imagine the line at the women's room after 3 hours of this.


11 posted on 04/10/2005 6:09:49 PM PDT by plain talk
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To: MisterRepublican
NO! There boobies and then there are boobies.

Or as my wife told a girl friend "we are all made the same, it is just that some look better than others".
12 posted on 04/10/2005 6:09:49 PM PDT by Americanexpat (A strong democracy through citizen oversight.)
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To: CHARLITE
Umm, how to say this, Pantyhose? Why? Then again, how hard would it be to smile a bit.

To be fair, if I were in their position, I wouldn't be smiling either.

13 posted on 04/10/2005 6:10:11 PM PDT by muir_redwoods (Free Sirhan Sirhan, after all, the bastard who killed Mary Jo Kopeckne is walking around free)
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To: CHARLITE

From Camilla's herd? Man...bunch of ungroomed horses.


14 posted on 04/10/2005 6:10:25 PM PDT by peyton randolph (Warning! It is illegal to fatwah a camel in all 50 states)
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To: CHARLITE
It isn't everyday that you see 100 naked women standing in the lobby of Berlin's New National Gallery. But on Thursday and Friday, a mass of women between the ages of 18 and 65 stood in the Mies van der Rohe-designed glass and steel architectural monument, wearing nothing but almond oil and see-through tights.

Wonder if they're all blond and blue eyed. Of course at 65, I'm kind of surprised those are even alive...must not be of the Judeo persuasion. This is a sick world. I will stay here as long as He wishes, but I won't miss it when I'm gone. (that's the title of my new C/W song...)

FMCDH(BITS)

15 posted on 04/10/2005 6:12:48 PM PDT by nothingnew (I fear for my Republic due to marxist influence in our government. Open eyes/see)
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To: CHARLITE

Ziss iss ze time on der Spiegel venn ve dance.


16 posted on 04/10/2005 6:13:05 PM PDT by wolfpat (Dum vivimus, vivamus)
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To: tet68
Eggsactly!

Lets see.....

I have no talent and nothing new to offer......Hmmmmmmm?

I know I will dress a bunch of woman in pantyhose only and have them dance! Thats the ticket!

Well the pantyhose are a new twist.....sorta.

Yawn, eyes rolling, been there seen that about a billion times.
17 posted on 04/10/2005 6:16:30 PM PDT by baystaterebel (F/8 and be there!)
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To: CHARLITE

"Performance Art" is neither


18 posted on 04/10/2005 6:17:01 PM PDT by stm
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To: MisterRepublican

Yeah, in this hectic life we lead, sometime ya just gotta stop and look at the t*ts.


19 posted on 04/10/2005 6:19:16 PM PDT by uglybiker (A woman's most powerful weapon is a guy's imagination.)
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To: wolfpat; nothingnew
"Ziss iss ze time on der Spiegel venn ve dance.

That's really funny! Great response - clever, wolfpat!

........and HI to you, too, nothingnew!

Char :)

20 posted on 04/10/2005 6:22:54 PM PDT by CHARLITE (Women are powerful; freedom is beautiful.........and STUPID IS FOREVER!)
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