A museum in Paris has opened its doors for nudist visitors on Saturday for the very first time, granting them special visiting hours to tour an exhibit in a one-off naturist event. The Palais de Tokyo contemporary art museum, in Paris’ plush 16th district, is the city’s first gallery to grant such access, though naturists have recently launched other initiatives in the French capital.
A park in the east of Paris, the Bois de Vincennes, last year trialled the city’s first dedicated nudist zone, and the space recently re-opened ahead of the summer months. Naturist campaigners said the museum event, with around 160 attendees, was a breakthrough in one of the culture capitals of the world.
ALSO READ: Head to Brussels to celebrate Spring
“The naturists’ way of life of is to be naked. Culture is part of our daily life, and this is a special opportunity,” said Julien Claude-Penegry, communications director of the Paris Naturists Association, in the Palais de Tokyo’s vast concrete and steel hallways. “Today, the mentality is changing. Naturists … are pushing past barriers, taboos or mentalities that were obstructive.”