Are you a nudist art collector? If you are, then Art Cologne has you covered. Australian artist Stuart Ringholt will be offering nude private tours of the fair which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

Ringholt’s performance, which he has been staging since 2010, is called Preceded by a tour of the show by artist Stuart Ringholt 6–8 p.m. (the artist will be naked. Those who wish to join the tour must also be naked. Adults only). As the title suggests, visitors can join the artist on the condition that they also are nude and over the age of 18.

The collaborative format allows participants to become part of the artwork. Unfortunately for voyeurs, the performance takes place behind closed doors outside of regular visiting hours.

Australian artist Stuart Ringholt will host the naked tours.
Photo: MCA Australia via YouTube.

Ringholt previously performed the collaborative naked art performance at the National Gallery of Canberra in 2015. The three 50-person naked tours of James Turrell’s retrospective at the Australian museum were wildly popular, selling out in just one day.

“Naked, our whole body experiences color” he told the Huffington Post at the time, adding that “nudity frees the spirit,” and that nudity “is educational. Education through feeling.”

According to Art Cologne, Ringholt regards his works as social experiments in which personal and social dispositions are brought about by absurd situations such as naked tours through art exhibitions. Other participatory performances by the artist have included anger workshops.

Art Cologne 2014.
Photo: Courtesy Koelnmesse.

Ringholt is represented by the Melbourne-based gallery Neon Parc, which is participating at this year’s “collaborations” section of Art Cologne. His work was included at the Sydney Biennale (2008); the Singapore Biennale (2011) and Documenta 13 (2012).

The last time Art Cologne visitors were confronted with artsy nudity was in 2014, when notorious nudist Swiss performance artist Milo Moiré presented The “PlopEgg” Painting Performance #1 outside of the fair venue.

“Art Cologne” runs from April 14–April 17, 2016, at Koelnmesse, Cologne.