Internationally renowned artist Spencer Tunick and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras today united 5,200 Australians from the straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities in the nude installation called, 'Mardi Gras: The Base' by Spencer Tunick.

"The base, the core, the heart of any truly free society depends on its acceptance of its diverse community as equal citizens. Sydney celebrated its diversity on Saturday night at the annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade and today it once again showed that it is a city where everyone is truly equal and united. Gay men and women lay naked next to their straight neighbours and this delivered a very strong message to the world that Australians embrace a free and equal society," said Tunick.

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has been in talks with Spencer for over two years to bring this commission to life.

Danielle Harvey, Festival Executive Producer, New Mardi Gras said, "The installations at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt and Concert Hall, Botanical Gardens and Mrs. Macquarie's Chair truly captured the diverse city that is Sydney today. To see how Spencer uses our natural and man-made surrounds and then changes and challenges our perception of the world around us using the human body has been amazing to witness."

Participants today included;

· A pregnant woman who will be rush to the hospital directly after the installation to be induced – she and her husband are expecting twin girls!

· Renowned Australian DJs

· Rugby league players

· Retirees

· Doctors

· Sailors

· Teachers

Danielle Harvey, Festival Executive Producer, New Mardi Gras said, “Sydney shed its clothes and proudly showed off its fabulous side today. We’re a nation that embraces nudity and the abundance of nude models from the straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities today proves that through art, a nation can unite.”