Key facts
Who: Spencer Tunick (born 1967, New York) — artist known worldwide for mass nude installations in over 100 cities
When: 26 July 2026
Where: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Maspalomas
What: «GRAN SPECTRUM» — collective nude installation in the colours of the LGTBIQA+ flags
Framework: «Culture & Business Pride 2026» festival
Supported by: Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Turismo de Islas Canarias
Registration: www.arnculturepride.org/spencertunick — open to all aged 18 and over
Sources: Canarias7, RTVC, InfonorteDigital, Pressenza, Masscultura
Spencer Tunick has been photographing naked people for over three decades. Not individually, but en masse. In Mexico City's Zócalo he brought together 18,000 people, his current record. In London, Sydney, Amsterdam, Barcelona — over 100 cities — he has turned squares, beaches and streets into temporary sculptures made of human bodies. His principle: once the clothing is gone, status symbols, profession and gender also disappear. What remains is the human.
On 26 July 2026, Tunick comes to Gran Canaria. The work is called «GRAN SPECTRUM», and it will be larger than most of his European pieces to date: hundreds of volunteers will use their bodies to form the colours of the LGTBIQA+ flags — rainbow, trans, non-binary, the full spectrum. The action is part of «Culture & Business Pride 2026», the annual festival that draws international attention to the islands.
Why Gran Canaria — and why now
Gran Canaria has been one of Europe's most important LGTBIQA+ destinations for decades. Maspalomas hosts one of the largest Pride events in Europe, the local scene is visible and established. But «GRAN SPECTRUM» is not purely a tourism event. Tunick and the organisers refer explicitly to what they call the «global rollback» of LGTBIQA+ rights — from the US to Hungary, protective laws are being repealed, visibility curtailed, Pride parades banned.
Spain ranks first in Europe in the 2026 Rainbow Map by ILGA-Europe for the protection of LGTBIQA+ rights. Tunick is turning Gran Canaria into the stage for a statement formulated from that position — as a counterweight to what is happening elsewhere.
How to take part
Registration is open to everyone aged 18 and over. Participants will receive all the information about location, timing and process in advance — the precise coordinates are released only shortly before the action, for organisational and safety reasons. Each participant receives a limited-edition photograph of the day afterwards, as a personal memento.
What happens on the day is, even by Tunick standards, not trivial: an early start, following instructions, posing in assigned colour groups, patience. The actual shoot often takes only minutes — the entire build-up takes hours. Anyone seeing the final image afterwards doesn't see individual people. They see colour, form, movement. A message that only works because hundreds of individuals carry it together.
Registration: www.arnculturepride.org/spencertunick
Frequently asked questions
- Who can take part?
- Anyone aged 18 or over with valid ID. No previous experience of Tunick actions or modelling is needed.
- What does it cost?
- Nothing. Participants receive a free limited-edition photograph of the day.
- Is it safe and legal?
- Yes — the action is officially approved by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and Turismo de Islas Canarias and is part of the established «Culture & Business Pride» festival. Nudity within a registered artistic action is legally protected in Spain.
- Exactly when and where?
- 26 July 2026 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Maspalomas. Exact time and location will be communicated after registration.
- Will photos of individual people be published?
- Tunick's works show crowds, not individuals. Publication takes place within his artistic body of work. Image rights are clarified during the registration process.
- Do I need to be LGTBIQA+ to take part?
- No. The action is explicitly open to everyone who wants to support the statement — regardless of identity or orientation.