(Marseille) “You have to go put on some shoes!”, “Oh no!”. A strange scene in a museum in Marseille, in the south of France, where an exhibition dedicated to naturism is visited once a month, naked or almost, but wearing shoes.
“I thought it was a naturist exhibition!” says Daniel, a visitor, indignantly, when he learns that he will still have to wear shoes in the aisles of the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations (Mucem) to discover Naturist paradisesan overview of “living naked” and its political variations.
“It was the Mucem that requested it to avoid getting splinters,” explains Éric Stefanut, from the French Naturist Federation (FFN), co-host of this unusual guided tour which brought together 80 curious people on this Tuesday in August.
After this briefing, everyone sets off to discover the photographs, drawings, books, films, magazines, paintings and sculptures, loaned by, among others, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Louvre and the Swiss National Library in Bern.
“Today is my birthday and we were looking for something a little unusual to do,” Julie Guegnolle, 38, – in a pareo – who came with her husband, Matthieu, 37 – naked, told AFP.
“It’s not every day that you get the chance to walk around a museum naked. When we arrived, we were a bit lost, but it’s not that strange,” she enthuses.
The exhibition, which is on display until December 9, also welcomes visitors fully clothed, outside of these dedicated slots.
“Stronghold”
“We’re in Marseille for the week. We saw the exhibition on Instagram and wanted to check it out,” explain Kieren Parker-Hall, 28, and Xander Parry, 30, from the southwest of England.
Both, in their simplest attire, are “fascinated” by the “incredible photographs” such as the black and white portrait of Christiane Lecocq – pioneer of French naturism, who died at the age of 103 – in front of her cabin, displaying her body naturally marked by the years.
“In England, you won’t find this type of place where people are naked, it’s cold!” smiles Kieren, a web developer. Xander, a master glassmaker, adds: “Being naked in England is seen as something weird, shameful,” he laments.
Marseille has been “a stronghold of naturism,” Bruno Saurez, president of the local naturist association founded in 2014 and co-host of the visit, explained to AFP.
At the beginning of the 20th centurye century, an abbot, Urbain Legré, took charge of children suffering from tuberculosis and exposed them naked to the sun, with the agreement of their parents and his diocese, to do exercises and drink water, he explains.
“This is what we did in Switzerland, in Germany”, where the naturist movement was born with the hygienist movement in the 19th centurye century, he recalls.
In the coves of Marseille, “these children loved this experience so much that they created the first naturist associations in France: the Naturistes de Provence in 1930 and the Libres culturistes de Provence in 1931,” explains Mr. Saurez.
Today, Marseille and its surroundings have several dedicated structures where the climate “necessarily attracts people”.
Wink
It is difficult to know whether France is the world’s leading tourist destination for naturists, in the absence of an official ranking.
“We are a little behind Spain, in terms of the number of entries into holiday centres. We are not counting the beach naturists who are very numerous, who do not necessarily go to the centres,” Bruno Saurez puts into perspective.
What does it matter to Christelle Bouyoud, 53, a naturist for ten years, convinced of one thing: “When you’re naked, it’s very complicated to go and find someone on the ground of war or disagreement.”
A direct nod to the song Nakedperformed by French singer Philippe Katerine on July 26, during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games.
Made up as Dionysus, painted blue and almost naked, the singer proclaimed: “There would have been no wars if we had remained completely naked. Let’s live as we were born. Naked, quite simply completely naked.”