Body Worlds Exhibit

Anon

Anyone else seen ads for this or actually seen it on display?? I don't know a lot about it, but to paraphrase, it is an art exhibit that uses dead (preserved) people as art. Some pretty freaky shit...Check out the link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_Worlds

Drowned Out

I saw a show about this on Discovery (I think) a couple of years ago...amazing stuff.
It was announced a week or two ago that the exhibit was coming to my city this summer...I'll be checking it out.

mookie9999

There's a similar show on display two blocks from where I live. It is called Bodies. It has been on display for over two years. I"ve lived here for that long and have no desire to spend $30 to see dead bodies in that or any other state.

JaneNY

No way in hell I'd want to see that. Insides should stay where they are - INSIDE. (I'll muck about with innards of machines, but I'm squeamish!)

Anon

JaneNY wrote:

No way in hell I'd want to see that. Insides should stay where they are - INSIDE. (I'll muck about with innards of machines, but I'm squeamish!)

I feel the same way - plus, how in the hell do they get so many dead bodies to do this with???

Obsidian22

I went to see the exhibit at The Ontario Science Centre . Wow! It would be a little daunting on anyone not familiar with the Inner workings of the human body. I found it utterly informative and educational.
I am a Registered Massage Therapist and my professional leanings are to observe humanity and it's form any way possible.

This is a must see, one time experience for all inclined. Go see it. It will awakening many senses.

The way it's set up is quite elaborate as well. The "Donors" are beautifully displayed. Works of art, and science.

My time at the exhibit was full of adrenaline and intrigue. There was a lady who passed out, I ran over to her, calmed her partner who was hollering for help. She had an episode, and had fainted. Thank goodness she did not hit her head on concrete.
So warning.. do not atetnd if you get squemish!
cheers !

vedderfan10

Saw it in Vancouver a couple of years ago and WOW! It's really impressive if you're "medically minded"....I loved it...my husband was a little creeped out. It's quite extraordinarily (and cooly) educational! Wow! Like they lungs of a smoker, a cross-section of an obese person that shows how crammed your organs are when you're overweight, the brain of an Alzheimer's patient, kidney disease, liver disease...

I took a couple of photos, which you are NOT allowed to do. A woman, who had touched the same thing I took a photo of, snarkily told me that I wasn't allowed to take photos. And I said "Well, you're not allowed to touch them". "I didn't touch it!" she protested. "Wanna see my photos?" I said, before a security guy warned me to put my camera away... The touchy lady was burning a lovely shade of red... HA!

DinghyDog

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Obsidian22

That was my thought when I looked at the slices of the obese man. Yuck!
Seeing lipids(fat) in all it's glory is eye opening, as well as the nerve endings and such. There are so many layers to the human body, it's just incredible.

Did anyone see the Yoga Lady?
The "donors" are much smaller than compared to living beings because to quote a star trek line "we are ugly bags of mostly water".
The importance of water goes beyond comprehension. It keeps us lubricated everywhere and helps maintain proper balance internally for our organs and body processes.
I actually bought the DVD, anatomy book and the biography of Gunther Von Hagens. The process of "plastination" is groundbreaking. He got the idea from standing in line at the Deli meat shop. He first studied Pathology before coming up with how to get a better inside view of the human body.It's hard to see the inside of a body part, when they used Fermeldahyde(smells awful) and glass jars.

Sprunkn7

Go see it, it's AMAZING!!
I like the German exhibit better, but go to Bodies (they are Asian,) if in your area. I have been to both and they both offer different things.
Very Interesting for sure.

PJaddicted

I saw a program on TV about it last night and the bodies may have been obtained illegally. That is just gross, and although I'd love to see it I wouldn't go until they prove other wise.

oxc

Lizard

PJaddicted wrote:

I saw a program on TV about it last night and the bodies may have been obtained illegally. That is just gross, and although I'd love to see it I wouldn't go until they prove other wise.

oxc

i saw that too--was it 20/20?. they suspect the bodies from china might have been murdered prisoners

ZiggyStar

I saw a documentary on Body Worlds. It showed how people sign forms to say they want to donate their bodies when they die etc. They are definitely "donors". The documentary was fascinating. I wish the exhibition came to where I live!

Gunther von Hagens is an incredible man giving normal people the chance to see and possibly begin to understand the incredible and wonderful human body.

Lizard

ZiggyStar wrote:

I saw a documentary on Body Worlds. It showed how people sign forms to say they want to donate their bodies when they die etc. They are definitely "donors". The documentary was fascinating. I wish the exhibition came to where I live!

Gunther von Hagens is an incredible man giving normal people the chance to see and possibly begin to understand the incredible and wonderful human body.

yes...but according to the show last night Gunther (I believe it was him) now will not take the bodies from China since he received 2 bodies from there that had bullet holes in them so he cremated them instead. Basically he cannot be sure they had the person's permission so will not take bodies from China any more.

ZiggyStar

Lizard wrote:

yes...but according to the show last night Gunther (I believe it was him) now will not take the bodies from China since he received 2 bodies from there that had bullet holes in them so he cremated them instead. Basically he cannot be sure they had the person's permission so will not take bodies from China any more.

Ohhh, right! Thanks for clearing that up.

answers are fatal

i saw it last year or two years ago at the philadelphia art meseum. it was awesome. i loved it. it was cool seeing the skin with the tatoos on it, and the lungs of the smokers and nonsmokers, and you saw a baby inside a mother. keep in mind its all real dead bodies.

JaneNY

I don't know, its probably just me, but it just seems disrespectful. I guess if the subjects gave their consent, its okay, but you know, I had to look at the dead faces of my mother and more recently my father, in their caskets at their funerals, and I don't think death is something I want to look at any more than necessary. One day I'll have to see the face of my dead husband, if I don't go first.

vedderfan10

The 'bodies' are in fact real people who have donated themselves upon death to this project, so it's not like they're using death row inmates or john or jane does. In fact, they have so many people wanting to donate there's a waitlist...

There's even a chicken and a horse!! But I haven't seen the horse...

Anon

JaneNY wrote:

I don't know, its probably just me, but it just seems disrespectful. I guess if the subjects gave their consent, its okay, but you know, I had to look at the dead faces of my mother and more recently my father, in their caskets at their funerals, and I don't think death is something I want to look at any more than necessary. One day I'll have to see the face of my dead husband, if I don't go first.

No, I feel the same way. The remains of humans can be used in much more constructive and scientific ways. I don't feel that parading them around, and slapping the "art" tag makes this "art". I think it's kinda sick and disturbing that it is getting this much acclaim...

mca47

It was in Phoenix last year and I completely missed out on seeing it. Have hear it is pretty incredible!