World Bodypainting Festival Turns Nude Bodies Into Art

Sarah Cascone July 9, 2014 ShareShare This Article

The World Bodypainting Festival, the self-described “most colorful event in the world,” brought hundreds of international body artists and an accompanying slew of nude models to Pörtschach, Austria, last week, reports the Guardian.

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Roy Licthenstein-inspired bodypainting art at the 2014 World Bodypainting Festival.
Courtesy: World Bodypainting Festival, via Facebook.

Taking place June 29–July 6, the annual event celebrated body painting and special effects makeup. Competitors from 47 countries participate in the world championships, competing in categories like face painting, brush and sponge painting, airbrushing, and a special nighttime competition for ultraviolet paint. Artists also have the opportunity to take part in workshops and related events. For the fair’s closing days, the theme was Pop art, resulting in works like the Roy Lichtenstein-inspired bodypainting above.

A model in the glow in the dark category at the World Bodypainting Festival in Austria.
Photo: Jan Hetfleisch, courtesy Getty Images.

Another highlight of the multi-hued event? “Bodypaint City,” where exhibitors showed off their skills while visitors gawked at the sea of naked bodies. In other areas, body art played the role of fashion, taking to the catwalk for a runway show.

Founded in 1998, the event was sponsored by Canon—fitting, given the many brightly colored photos of psychedelically painted bodies that document the unusual event.