Going Nude at Berlin's New National Gallery - (not exactly eye candy, IMHO)

SPIEGEL ONLINE.COM ^ | APRIL 8, 2005 | Staff

[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.

[CHARLITE]

"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........

[Archon of the East]

I thought you are suppose to smile when naked?

[SteveMcKing]

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?

[MisterRepublican]

Boobies are boobies.

[Keith in Iowa]

The people most likely to get nekkid in situations like this are the ones least likely to look good doin' it. :)

[SteveMcKing]

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

"Beauty", my @ss.

[Cicero]

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

[60Gunner]

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?

[Larry Lucido]

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

[tet68]

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


Exactly.

[plain talk]

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

[Americanexpat]

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".

[muir_redwoods]

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.

[peyton randolph]

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

[nothingnew]

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)

[wolfpat]

Ziss iss ze time on der Spiegel venn ve dance.

[baystaterebel]

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.

[stm]

"Performance Art" is neither

[uglybiker]

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

[CHARLITE]

"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 :)

[WestCoastGal]

Sheesh did they advertise for women with the ugliest breasts or what??

[rlmorel]

Hmm. Just goes to show you how far a genuine smile can take someone, I'm sure some of them would be attractive if they smiled, but...that isn't the point of this I suppose. I suspect it was done to de-sexualize them, in which case it works! Many women think men are only interested in what is below the neck, but I would beg to differ.

[tai-pan]

Some of them resemble Zorba, but not all.

[hosepipe]

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

The question being...
Just many rounds of Bier at a Bierhous would it take to come up with such an idea..
I posit.. MANY... cause they/she must've have been Sh!T faced..

[armymarinemom]

Well I had to go and look only because my son didn't mention what he would be doing for the weekend over there. How on earth do they pass this off as art?

[ElkGroveDan]

Well now we know why the German men keep invading neighboring countries.

[Gumlegs]

Well, I'm a guy, and I sure was disappointed when I googled vb-55. Look what I got:

Some nice tail, I gotta admit.

[Vigilanteman]

The people most likely to get nekkid in situations like this are the ones least likely to look good doin' it. :)

Bro, you nailed it!

[wolfpat]

Isn't that President Bush(41) in that cockpit?

[George Smiley]

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

Tom Wolfe got sick of it a long time ago and wrote a book called The Painted Word.

[CHARLITE]

"Well now we know why the German men keep invading neighboring countries."

This is such a great comment, that you should send it to "Letters to the Editor" of Der Spiegel!

Touché!

Char :)

[RightWhale]

the impact of this "ART" in three thousand years

Seems to be a species of performance art. That is, the art is happening and then it is gone except for the impressions of the audience. It is related to drama, the highest form of aesthetic expression.

[Gumlegs]

It would be neat, wouldn't it, but I don't think so. He flew Avengers. Here's an Avenger.

Notice the differences in the shape of the tail and the location of the wings.

[wolfpat]

Thanks. And thanks for the pictures too.

[RippleFire]

zzzzzz

[varon]

The people most likely to get nekkid in situations like this are the ones least likely to look good doin' it. :)

D'ya think that what they lack in looks, they more than make up with their personality? (trying to keep a straight face)

[tet68]

. It is related to drama, the highest form of aesthetic expression.

It may be related but as to drama being the highest form,
you probably heard that from actors.

[RightWhale]

Drama uses all the forms of artistic expression at once, therefore is the highest form of artistic expression. Take that! Russell. Drama should be taken more seriously, not abused through trivial use of the form by Hollywood.

[cmsgop]

Not exactly the Master Race is it!

[Nam Vet]

Sheesh did they advertise for women with the ugliest breasts or what??

That is exactly what I was thinking.

Nam Vet

[Libloather]

...wearing nothing but almond oil and see-through tights.

May I suggest -

[CHARLITE]

"Not exactly the Master Race is it!"

Just got to your comment. Really clever! Am laughing my way off to bed now.

Thanks for the amusing reflection on the "human German statuary!"

Char :)

[shaggy eel]

after all, this is art

,,, the eternal quantifier.

[AndrewC]

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