American photographer Spencer Tunick has turned the historic centre of Vegueta into a living canvas with hundreds of naked volunteers painted in eleven colours, in an unprecedented artistic action in the Canary Islands.
The historic centre of Vegueta, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, transformed into an outdoor photo studio this Sunday morning. At five o'clock, hundreds of people began to gather on Herrería Street to take part in the artistic intervention by New York photographer Spencer Tunick, titled 'Gran Spectrum'.
The action, framed within the Culture & Business Pride 2026 festival, consisted of a precise choreography in which the participants, completely naked, applied body paint in a palette of eleven colours. This number of pigments, higher than in previous interventions by the artist, aimed to emulate the diversity of a 'submarine coral garden', according to Tunick himself.
The photographer, known worldwide for his massive installations of nudes in public spaces, directed the scene using a loudspeaker, adjusting every angle and position of the volunteers to achieve the desired composition. For Tunick, this work represented a top-level artistic challenge as he had to create 'from scratch' in such a unique environment as the Canary Islands.
During the preparation process, the artist had already pointed out that the participants are his true medium: 'They are the paint and the soul of the work'. The intervention managed to transform the vulnerability of nudity into an image of collective power and visibility for the LGTBIQA+ community.
The choice of Vegueta was not accidental. The historic neighbourhood, with its cobblestones and the Cathedral of Santa Ana as a backdrop, offered a unique contrast between the ancient and the contemporary. The volunteers, who came from various parts of the island, expressed their excitement at being part of a work that will go down in the history of art in the Canary Islands.
The event's organisation included extensive security and logistical arrangements to ensure the smooth running of the session. Participants received precise instructions regarding schedules and meeting points, and spaces were provided for changing clothes and applying makeup.
Tunick's action in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria adds to other interventions he has carried out in cities such as New York, London, or Sydney, always with the human body as a central element. On this occasion, the work also aims to advocate for diversity and freedom of expression in a festive and reivindicative context like Pride.
For attendees, the experience was intense. 'It's a feeling of total freedom,' commented one of the participants. 'Being here, naked, surrounded by people who share the same thing, is something you never forget.' Most volunteers stated they felt proud to have contributed to a work that, according to them, 'puts the Canary Islands on the map of contemporary art.'
Tunick's intervention in Vegueta has not only left striking images but has also sparked a debate about the limits of art and the social acceptance of nudity. Reactions on social media have been mostly positive, although there have been criticisms from more conservative sectors.
The Culture & Business Pride 2026 festival, which hosts this artistic action, continues its programming with various cultural and reivindicative activities until the end of the week. The work 'Gran Spectrum' will be documented in a series of photographs that will soon be exhibited in a gallery in the capital of Gran Canaria.
The massive participation of volunteers demonstrates the public's interest in being part of large-scale artistic projects. Tunick, who has worked on over 100 installations worldwide, has found in the Canary Islands a suitable stage for his particular vision of art.
The organisers have already announced that, given the positive reception, they do not rule out repeating the experience in the future. For now, the images of hundreds of bodies painted in colours on the cobblestones of Vegueta have already become part of the collective imagination of the island.
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