Mexico Tells Artist To Turn The Other Cheek

Spencer Tunick, who produces news coverage for himself by shooting photographs of large groups of naked people in famous locations, will apparently not get to stage one of his events among the ruins of the Teotihuacan pyramids in Mexico. The Mexican authorities are not going to allow it.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico is unlikely to allow U.S. artist Spencer Tunick stage a nude photo shoot at its famous Teotihuacan pyramids, citing possible damage to the ancient site.

Tunick has asked Mexican archaeological authorities for permission to photograph masses of naked people at Teotihuacan, Mexico's oldest major ruins, on May 6.

"The application has been filed and the National Anthropology and History Institute is evaluating it, but it looks like they won't let him. It's not the last word but they have told me it will be rejected," Alejandro Sarabia, who runs the Teotihuacan site, told Reuters on Monday.

Tunick has caused controversy by staging nude photo shoots in cities from Dusseldorf to Caracas. Organizers say the Mexico City event might top his record of 7,000 naked people photographed in Barcelona in 2003.

Teotihuacan, which housed some 200,000 inhabitants at the height of its power around 500 AD, is a series of pyramids and buildings set around a central boulevard and would provide Tunick one of his most monumental backgrounds.

The site's budget probably hasn't enough money to pay for all that cheek-print removal.