Dead Bodies displayed as Art?
By petebaja
@petebaja (516)
Mexico
February 15, 2008 3:25pm CST
Did you hear that they are displaying actual dead bodies posed in athletic positions as an art display in New York?
I don't know where exactly, but I did hear that the Attorney General of New York is starting an investigation. What's happened to this generation's artists? I know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But this is ridiculous!
They are going to show some special tonight on television. I'm not even going to help their ratings by posting the channel information.
Despite my curiosity, I will boycott the program.
Would you watch a TV show about this topic?
1 person likes this
8 responses
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
15 Feb 08
I am not going to watch but just in case anyone else does not want to watch it is on ABC's 20/20 at 10PM. I don't think it helps to have someone else telling me what not to watch I prefer to make my own choice so after reading your discussion I checked to see what program it was going to be on...LOL
3 people like this
@gardengrrl (1445)
• United States
16 Feb 08
LOL... that's my friend Heather, keeping the facts straight for the rest of us bumblers! Good to "see" ya, Heather!
@gardengrrl (1445)
• United States
16 Feb 08
Watch the program? I would gladly pay $50 US to see it live!It sounds absolutely amazing!
The German artist/scientist who came up with the idea actually has a huge waiting list of people who want to donate their bodies to the project. I believe all of the subjects knew what the purpose was, and gave their consent during life, or the families of the deceased consented.
On first sight, the displays would be a bit disconcerting. I wouldn't take a child under 7 or so to see it. A grade school child would have to be extremely scientifically curious to deal with it, I think. Once you became accustomed, though, it would be completely fascinating to observe the muscles "in action", so to speak. I learned a great deal about the physiology of the human body, and I haven't even seen it yet!
Here's a NY Times article about the exhibit:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0DE2DE1F38F930A35754C0A9629C8B63
Creepy, yes. Utterly fascinating if one is curious about such things, though!
2 people like this
@petebaja (516)
• Mexico
16 Feb 08
Yep, that's it. I see the picture you posted was the same one I saw on TV. Well, you certainly gave me a different point of view to consider.
Does it really cost $50 to see it in the museum? Based on your info above and all the time and energy placed on this project, you'd think that they would charge more.
1 person likes this
@Galena (9110)
•
16 Feb 08
I've heard about this, and would go if there was an exhibit anywhere near me.
I'm fascinated by anatomy, and these people have chosen to have their bodies, which are just empty shells, no more significant than a steak, to be used in this way.
so I would go, and learn more about how amazingly we work.
1 person likes this
@Loen210 (1540)
• United States
16 Feb 08
That was in Boston for some time. Held at the Museum Museum of Science. Here was the website (hope I type correctly since you can't paste.):
www.mos.org/newsletter.php?msgID=99189
If that doesn't go through, you can go to the main mos.org site, and search for "Human Bodies". Exhibit was: "Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS 2: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies".
1 person likes this
@petebaja (516)
• Mexico
16 Feb 08
I think the exhibit your talking about is different than the one they featured last night. Apparently, they showed the work of a company called Premiere Productions. From what I gather from other posters here is they were a little bit more secretive about the sources of their bodies. I've also read some place that these may have been tortured Chinese prisoners (I don't know that to be true, just read it in the lot and the speculation by reporters).
The Body Worlds Exhibit by Von Hagen is very open about their sources and the bodies were donated by the deceased with consent of family members. Von Hagen's work seems to be more legitimate and accepted by the community in general.
@cortney09 (1345)
• United States
16 Feb 08
I watched the 20/20 special on it tonight and they didn't have some nice things to say about this display. I think it's horrible. I think that the fact that they can't say with absolute certainty where these bodies were coming from makes it that much worse.
1 person likes this
@cortney09 (1345)
• United States
16 Feb 08
They were also saying they might be the bodies of executed Chinese prisoners.
1 person likes this
@gardengrrl (1445)
• United States
16 Feb 08
Yes, there's two different companies doing this type of show now. I absolutely would not go to the Premier Productions shows, they're the ones with the questionable sources for their subjects, especially the Chinese ones. I find it fascinating, but only if the subjects were given full disclosure, and provided informed consent for their body's use and display. Otherwise, it is very wrong to do this to them!
@cortney09 (1345)
• United States
23 Feb 08
I just think it's awful that someone would dig up bodies from a grave to do something like displaying bodies. I really wonder how they get their bodies. When I watched the special on television, the person being interviewed seemed really evasive with his answers as to where they got their bodies. You thint here would be a better way to determine where they bodies come from.
@bonnieblue80 (77)
• United States
16 Feb 08
I think it is a really cool procedure and would totally go see it live. I have seen some of his exhibits on tv shows and thought it was a really inventive way to preserve bodies.
If you go to his website you can sign up to donate your body to his project.
I would definitely take my kids 6 and 8 to see it because it is a science exhibit showing the anatomy of the human body. They have already seen the exhibits on tv so I think they would love to see it in person.
1 person likes this
@onesiobhan (1327)
• Canada
16 Feb 08
Is that the Body Works show?
It's toured all over the world and is quite famous. The bodies are donated for the purpose.
@gem4678 (220)
• United States
16 Feb 08
I don't know about this it just seems really ackward I guess would be the best work I could think of. I can't dismiss the interest though or obviosly this wouldn't be such a hot post with so many replies, but at the same time it just seems kinda wrong. I guess if could be a great way to use it for educational and scientifical purposes but the idea of having real bodies displayed like that is almost repolsive. I can't help but picture old western and war movies where bodies were left around town or whatever, I know thats not how they are being demonstrated but thats what comes to mind anyway. I just can't decide on this matter its strange thats for sure.
