For his main installation on August 20, Spencer made use of the umbrella in homage to the surrealist artist René Magritte. The following morning, with a smaller group comprised mostly of women, Spencer paid homage to another great French artist, Eugène Delacroix. 

It was befitting the occasion that after dark on August 19, while the Aurillac festival-goers innocently revelled after a day of festivities, an entourage of Brits quietly invaded the unsuspecting French stronghold in Auvergne with military precision, and heading down the mountain from the neighbouring village of Thiezac, descended upon the town before dawn to take possession of several elusive umbrellas so as not to miss out on Spencer Tunick's célébration des parapluies. 

Peter Jacobs was a part of this entourage, and this is his account of the weekend.

After going through our routine of umbrella holds (low over our heads; held aloft; held out to one side, arm outstretched; turned to face the town) and after much of Spencer’s now traditional ‘Don’t smile. Don’t look at me’s, the ladies were sent to get dressed and Spencer headed down the hill bringing the men with him. He seemed to be in a fantastic mood, friendly and relaxed. After organising the men into a fan shape and spreading us out – I tried in vain to be near the front, I confess – we were asked to lay on the grass, propped on one elbow, half of us with umbrellas held aloft. It was fun but it was soon over and I quickly realised that I needed to get moving if I was going to get into town to meet the others for the clear umbrella installation. I looked up the hill to where our clothes were. I could see Gil already determinedly halfway up. I broke into as good a run as possible going up a grassy, stony hill in bare feet. Once dressed, to cut a long story short, I shamelessly used Gil’s good contacts and after running frantically back down the hill we rode into town on the back of Spencer Tunick’s truck with his crew. I have rarely felt more glamorous.

The women went back to the buffet to undress and returned bearing nothing but their flags. Spencer got them back into position; choosing particular women to take on central roles at the front others spread across the tracks, some sprawled at the front; shaping the work, trying out how the smoke was going to work. I thought the set-up looked fantastic and that the pictures were going to be special. I could see Lorna and Carmen to one side on the tracks, Janet with her distinctive long blonde hair in the centre with Vi behind her, and Carol nearer the front. The smoke proved unpredictable with the entire group of women and the crew initially swamped in the grey cloud but Spencer and the smoke crew started to get the right kind of drift and direction and it was clear that timing was going to be key. After taking several shots – ‘Don’t look at me. Don’t smile, madam’ – Spencer switched the women around, keeping roughly the same tableaux but moving the women around to create different effects and featuring others he chose from the participants. After taking many more shots and satisfied that he’d got what he wanted something wonderful happened. Something I had hoped for but had told myself over and over not to expect. Spencer turned to us from his ladder and said, ‘Where are my naked guys? Do you four want to get undressed now and we’ll have the ladies attack you with spears.’ We were going to be in the next set-up.

The women were moved across the track to the platform next to the station buildings. After getting them in position, Spencer called us men across and we set off across the tracks to a rousing cheer from the women. It was an amazing feeling. Gil was asked to lie on his back to the right of the platform with his head towards the front; Robin was positioned on his back on the railway tracks with his legs up on the platform (European stations have lower platforms than the UK, of course). Spencer then led me to the centre and into the second row of women and then guided me back into a prone position similar to Gil. Three-time participant Fabio (the fourth man) was then positioned on the left side to match Gil. Some of the women at the front were then asked to spear us in the heart with the poles of the flags and to crouch menacingly around us. A little girl was brought forward to mop Fabio’s brow tenderly with her flag. Robin was draped with another. I lay there on my back surrounded by naked Frenchwomen praying that Spencer didn’t step back and decide that it was a terrible idea. 

Although it was over all too soon, it was one of the most satisfying and complete experiences of my life. We got up and Spencer soon started on the next set-up. We men had done our part and were no longer needed. We (rather reluctantly) got dressed as Spencer moved the women onto the other two platforms and set up some pictures of them slowly walking into the distance along the tracks, flags held aloft or strategically draped to cover some very unperiod tan lines. This was the hardest set-up for the women as Spencer pulled several women out of the installation because their tan lines were too prominent, moving others rapidly along the sharp and unforgiving gravel. I know how hard it was to walk on barefoot. And then that was it. The installation was complete.

Two Spencer Tunick installations in two days, three locations, five set-ups (personally). I didn’t feel the same buzzing exhilaration as I had doing The Lowry installation but the entire experience of going to France, bonding almost instantly with six wonderful and remarkable strangers (now friends), the Festival in Aurillac, the glorious sunshine, and taking part in Spencer Tunick’s work – including an installation that I know is very special – was a completely satisfying and fulfilling experience. I have the same feeling of transformation as I did the first time. I feel fantastic. Now I’m just desperate to see the finished work. And to take part in another Spencer Tunick installation.

The installation of Spencer Tunick in Aurillac took place on August 20 and 21 as a special event of the 25th edition of the Street Theatre Festival. Aurillac is a peacefull city that gets surrealist 5 days per year during the Street Theatre Festival that attracts artists and spectators from a very broad horizon.

I slept in the camping site opened for the duration of the festival at the sport center of La Ponétie, as I did not plan any hotel. It was a good choice because you meet a lot of people in the camping. At 2.30am I woke up because there was a performance of a man spitting fire in front of my tent. Once the show was over, I headed to the meeting point of the installation as I was afraid not to find it in the night.

Aurillac, capital city of the umbrella

The registration of the participants begins and each participant is given a black umbrella produced by the local company Piganiol. After some necessary waiting time for the 700 people to get ready and for first light, everybody climbs the hill called “Puy-Courrny” on the top of which there is a small platform. Spencer, with his fascinating smile, is standing on the platform briefing his working team of the day. After some time, Spencer explains that he is happy that we do not have to sing under the rain today. There will be three installations. A first setup will involve the men and the ladies. Then the ladies will be able to get their clothes on and go back to the entrance of the site to swap the black umbrella for a transparent umbrella. The second installation will involve the men only. Then the third setup is an urban installation that will involve the ladies and some men if there are still some transparent umbrellas left. With some amusement Spencer explains that the setup of Saturday morning will involve the ladies with french flags and a smoke machine in a remake of the painting by Eugene Delacroix: Liberty leading the People. Spencer asks the participants to be patient and attentive to the explanations as otherwise the process could take more time. He explains that if anyone smiles he will look goofy on the picture. Spencer also encourages the participants to commit until the end of all the installations as he seems afraid that some ladies could be too shy to be naked in town.

“1,2,3... déshabillez-vous!” Everybody is undressed in almost no time and the participants are asked to spread down the hill with their umbrella open. The crowd is like a living tortoise and at the beginning the umbrellas touching each other made the progression difficult. The dry grass and the thistles are there to remind the fragility of a naked man. Spencer asks the participants to spread on all the surface and to fill the holes but for the participants it is not obvious to see where the holes are. A first picture is made, the participants facing Spencer with the umbrella low on the head, the face is not visible. A second picture is taken with the umbrella high with the arm raised. A third picture is taken, the participants facing Aurillac with the umbrella at the end of the arm that is held horizontal. Spencer gives us some compliments, “You are beautifull” and “It is beautifull from here”.

The landscape is a mixture of shades of green, skin and black, like three base components. I enjoy this special moment where I have the feeling to be actor in a piece of art and spectator of this living landscape. It is only later that I will understand that the feeling of “déjà vu” I had is due to the inspiration of this installation by the painter René Magritte.

As we are going up the hill to get dressed again, Spencer shouts “the yellow people out of the field” as he realizes that the crowd moving on the field is an excellent subject for some pictures full of spontaneity.

The light was perfect, the sky was overcast with no clear shadows.

For me it was already over, it went really too fast because the moment of the installation is always enjoyable, like a moment of privileged communication with the artist.

The third installation involved the ladies and some men who did not have the chance to take part to the two first installations. It seems that at the end thirty ladies have been invited by Spencer for a last installation in the Jordanne, the river that flows through Aurillac.
The Installation of Saturday took place at the SNCF train station.

I always have the feeling to be an orphan from that unique moment after an installation. Fortunately it is planned to have some pictures on display at the city hall as well as at the Place of Peace on Saturday evening. Spencer is in the front of the city hall at 7PM and seems to enjoy the atmosphere of the festival. A large picture of the first installation from Friday is displayed in front of the city hall. Some people have few words with Spencer and a man gets a picture of his young son with the artist. I even try to get some explanations about the signification of the umbrellas and Spencer, like a surrealist joke tells “It was to protect the people from the rain!”

After dinner I go to in direction of the Place of Peace. It is dark, the place is huge and a lot of people is there for the projection of a set of pictures taken by Heidi Elainne. At the end I recognize the voice of Spencer almost next to me. What a coincidence to meet him again within all these people in this darkness. I kindly ask him for a signature in the back of the entrance ticket for the camping.