Marseille museum invites visitors to strip off for naturist exhibition
Visitors to one of Marseille's biggest museums are welcome to remove their clothes as they explore a new exhibition dedicated to naturism in Europe – so long as they keep their shoes on.
"It's not every day you get to walk around a museum naked," said Julie Guegnolle, 38, who was celebrating her birthday at the "Naturist Paradises" exhibition at the Museum of Civilisations of Europe and the Mediterranean (Mucem).
Once a month, visitors can explore the displays in only their shoes – a precaution not for modesty's sake but simply to "avoid getting splinters", the head of France's FFN naturist organisation, Eric Stefanut, told French news agency AFP.
Dedicated to the history of naturism in Europe, the exhibition features some 600 photos, paintings, sculptures and other works, including loans from the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Louvre and the Swiss National Library in Bern.
The naturist movement sprang up in Switzerland and Germany in the 19th century.
France's first naturist group emerged in the south-eastern Provence region in 1930 before spreading throughout the country with the help of pioneers such as Christiane Lecocq, co-founder of the first French naturist resort in Montalivet, near Bordeaux.
Her nude black-and-white portrait is among the photos on display.
'Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity'
Strolling around the galleries clad in a sarong, Guegnolle said she wanted to "do something different" for her birthday.
She and her husband were among 80 visitors in various states of undress one Tuesday in August.
(with AFP)
Read more on RFI English
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