In pictures, a preview of the Paradis Naturistes exhibition at the Mucem

The exhibition Naturist Paradise at the Mucem, to discover tomorrow

“Could living naked in community to commune with nature be the secret to happiness and health? »asks the Mucem. At a time when naturism is taking on unprecedented proportions, particularly in France, the Marseille museum is offering a summer-long look at this practice that is far removed from the dictates. The exhibition Naturist Paradisewhich will begin at the Mucem on July 2 (until December 9), questions the issues of naturism, or rather “naturism” past and present, around 600 photographs, films, magazines, everyday objects, paintings, drawings, books, prints and sculptures. This is the first exhibition ever dedicated to naturism in France.

“Taking off one’s clothes is a gesture of liberation, a utopian return to a more essential life, in symbiosis with nature and the living,” says Amélie Lanvin, chief curator of the Mucem and co-curator of the exhibition. Indeed, France is the world’s leading tourist destination for naturists. Why? In addition to its mild climate and the diversity of its coastlines, France is historically favorable to this practice, which is rooted in ancient cultural and legal foundations. Naturism, in fact, began two centuries ago. “The first naturists, contrary to what we imagine, were doctors and had in common a rejection of urban life and the rapid industrialization suffered by Europe during the 19th century.^e century, specifies Amélie Lanvin. Naturism is first of all a therapeutic practice which invites you to strengthen your body through contact with natural elements: water bath, clean air, exposure to the sun, plant-based diet and plant-based treatments. » The practice then evolved towards more hedonistic concerns linked to the pleasure of moving freely in nature.