Nudists welcome to tour ‘Nude Men’ art exhibition in Vienna

An art exhibition in Vienna dedicated to the male nude is reportedly welcoming nudists to experience the galleries au naturel after public hours.

A spokesman for the Leopold Museum in Vienna told Reuters that there was a request by an association from Germany for a nude guided tour.

“We thought about it, and decided it would be a good idea to have a special nude viewing open to the public,” the spokesman told the news service.

“Nackte Manner” -- “Nude Men” -- features depictions of male nudity in art from the 19th century to the present day. The show caused a stir in Vienna with a promotional campaign that featured a photograph titled “Vive La France” depicting three completely naked soccer players, save for their footwear.

The museum said that a male visitor recently took his clothes off in the exhibition and sauntered naked through the galleries until a security guard asked him to dress.

“Nude Men” features a wide diversity of art. A sampling of the exhibition: a phallic sculpture by Louise Bourgeois titled “Fillette (Sweeter Version)”, a Bruce Nauman drawing depicting the outlines of five naked men called “Untitled (Five Marching Men)” and Andy Warhol’s poster artwork for the Fassbinder movie “Querelle.”

The museum has extended the exhibition through March 4. The spokesman said clothed visitors were welcome to the nude tours, “but we don’t want voyeurs so it’s better not to be clothed.”

The Leopold Museum won’t be the first museum to hold nude art tours. Australia’s Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney held clothing-free tours last year as a way to bring visitors closer to the art and help them gain a new perspective on the museum experience.

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