Danish Men Are Free to Run (and Flop) Naked

June 22, 2011
CEDRIC-DEWITTISON

Løber Nøgen is Danish for "running naked," which is what a group of six Danish photogs enjoy shooting each other doing, so much so that it's what they've named their group. In Williamsburg, this is pretentious hipster crap. In Denmark, it's refreshingly liberal! Let's meet the boys.

We can only meet them in idea, however, since the guys like to remain anonymous, even though they photograph each other clearly. Oh, those rule-defying Danes! In an interview with the blog East Village Boys, the group explains,

We enjoy our anonymity as members of LN. We are all practicing photographers, each with our own unique sensibilities and aspirations, but when we come together as a collective we get to leave some of that behind and let loose, aesthetically and personally.

Let's interpret that as meaning not to ask about their personal lives, including their sexuality, an issue they manage to cleverly skirt:

We don't have any particular political or sexual spin to this. We certainly like looking at naked bodies - we think this to be true of most people for many different reasons - so whatever truth or inspiration the viewer gets from the work will be specific to them and the circumstances under which they experience the work.

They won't classify themselves as gay, but they make clear that there are no girls allowed, saying it "would add a level of mystery." Yeah. That what we say about the downtown bathhouse, too.

Since the days of the "Swedish art film," the deceivingly demure Scandinavians have maintained a sexual liberation that surprise most Americans. Thank god this hasn't faded. When we next visit Copenhagen, we know exactly the art exhibit to look for, and participate in!