BODIES The Exhibition

[P F Tinmore]

BODIES...The Exhibition - Cleveland, OH

 

[chanel]

I've seen it twice. Once in NY and once in FL. I have a weak stomach. It was hot and smelly and I did not enjoy it. But my family did. That's why we went twice.

Are you going?

 

[syrenn]

Once you have done gross anatomy its rather a boring exhibit.

 

[JBeukema]

I always end up getting sexually aroused....

 

[Madeline]

Looks rather disturbing.

 

[Mr. H.]

It's more like a circus sideshow. I saw the Bodyworlds exhibit in LA several years ago.
The most fascinating thing I remember was an intact structue of a human circulatory system. Arteries, veins, capillaries were all there.

 

[AllieBaba]

I don't get how artists can play with bodies and not get zapped for abuse of a corpse.

Imagine if we stockpiled bodies in our homes, and spent all our spare time playing with them, cutting them up, putting different substances on them, skinning them, posing them.

Kinda creepy.

I don't know if I'd go or not. It would be interesting. But I never thought about the smell, that's gross.

 

[Mr. H.]

All of the bodies on display were used with prior consent.
Oh- and you may want to think twice before taking your kids.

 

[AllieBaba]

Well I'm nowhere near it, so it's a moot point for me, really.

I know they have prior consent, but I'm not sure prior consent means anything when it comes to abuse of a corpse.

Maybe it does. They're dead, I guess, I don't care personally.

Still, it's gross. The "artist" has dedicated his life to carving up people. What a way to live.

 

[geauxtohell]

It came through my city during my first year of school. My friends went and thought it was really interesting. At the time, I was getting enough cadaver work to suit me and didn't want to pay for it. I am surprised they haven't found a way to mask the phenol smell.

Since the body is fascinating, I imagine it would be fascinating to someone who has never seen it before.

Though, after dealing with cadavers and then doing autopsy, a lot about the human body is lost in the process of embalming (IMO).

 

[geauxtohell]

Well I'm nowhere near it, so it's a moot point for me, really.

I know they have prior consent, but I'm not sure prior consent means anything when it comes to abuse of a corpse.

Maybe it does. They're dead, I guess, I don't care personally.

Still, it's gross. The "artist" has dedicated his life to carving up people. What a way to live.

The bodies are from China and some legitimate ethical questions about proper consent have always surrounded these exhibits:

Q: Where do the full body specimens come from?

A: The full body specimens are persons who lived in China and died from natural causes. After the bodies were unclaimed at death, pursuant to Chinese law, they were ultimately delivered to a medical school for education and research. Where known, information about the identities, medical histories and causes of death is kept strictly confidential.

As for the positions, since showing muscle action is one of the goals of the exhibit, it makes sense that they would position them differently to show the flexion and extension of different muscles.

 

[JBeukema]

Well I'm nowhere near it, so it's a moot point for me, really.

I know they have prior consent, but I'm not sure prior consent means anything when it comes to abuse of a corpse.

Maybe it does. They're dead, I guess, I don't care personally.

Still, it's gross. The "artist" has dedicated his life to carving up people. What a way to live.

Oh, stfu. It's really no different than what Da Vinci did, except they have new technologies and techniques available.


Recall that all modern medicine is possible in large part thanks to grave robbers and people dissecting corpses and telling people like you to fuck off.

 

[JBeukema]

a lot about the human body is lost in the process of embalming (IMO).

Yes, but a fresh body ever few days, fully prepared and ready for display, is simply not feasible.

 

[geauxtohell]

a lot about the human body is lost in the process of embalming (IMO).

Yes, but a fresh body ever few days, fully prepared and ready for display, is simply not feasible.

No, certainly not. It was just an observation. What you see in cadaver lab is much different then what you see at autopsy.

Not many medical students get to participate in an autopsy, so I consider myself fortunate from the learning aspect of the matter.

 

[Madeline]

There's some legislator disturbed about the provence of these bodies as well. Frankly, I think we'd be reacting differently if they were the remains of Americans.

Missouri congressman concerned about origin of bodies at exhibit currently in Cleveland | cleveland.com

I don't consider myself overly sentimental about human remains, at least my own. IMO, fancy funerals are usually a waste of money. But it does bother me, the way these bodies have been treated....I'm not even sure I can articulate why, exactly.

Anyway, the display is near me but I won't be going. I had decided that before the added tidbit about the smell. The whole thing is a tad too Holocaust for me.

 

[boedicca]

I've seen it (well, actually an earlier version) - it's quite beautiful and touching.

 

[RadiomanATL]

Pshaw.

I do one of these in my backyard at least once a year when I get new neighbors that annoy me.