The Naked Icelandic Artist in a Box

Artists often pour their souls into their art, but 23-year old MFA student Almar Atlason put his body on display.

 For a week in December 2015, Atlason sat naked in a glass box at the Iceland Academy of Art in Reykjavik, in a performance open to the public and live-streamed on youtube.

Other artists have appeared in boxes before.  Tilda Swindon hung in a box at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2013.

But this was the first performance artist to be boxed naked, and with no supplies, completely vulnerable.  "It's about total loss of control," Atlason explained.

And isolation.  Able to see other people, but not hear or touch them, for a week.

On display, a public exhibition of acts that are usually very private -- reading, sleeping, defecating -- and other things.

Completely vulnerable.

Some spectators provided him with gifts of food, books, playing cards, and toilet paper.  Others were not impressed.  He got angry confrontations, even death threats.

The Academy had to hire a 24-hour guard.

At the end of the week, Atlason emerged, smoked a cigarette, had a shower, and put his clothes back on.

Leaving us wondering if it was really art, or just an excuse to show us his willy.

I'm fine with it either way.

The uncensored photos are on Tales of West Hollywood.