BODIES... The Exhibition

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BODIES… The Exhibition is an exhibition, operated by Premier Exhibitions, Inc.^[1], featuring real, whole and partial body specimens that have been dissected and preserved through a plastination process, displaying the complexity of the human body. It opened at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Tampa, Florida on August 20, 2005.^[2]

BODIES… The Exhibition is a major provider of museum quality touring Exhibitions throughout the world, which produces, manages and tours other Exhibitions including Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, Dialog in the Dark and STAR TREK: THE EXHIBITION.^[3]

Contents 1 Exhibition organization 2 Preservation process 3 Reception 4 Criticism 5 Venezuela customs incident 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Exhibition organization

The Exhibition is set up so visitors journey through the human body starting with the skeletal system, and moving through the muscular, nervous, circulatory, respiratory, digestive and reproductive systems; as well as fetal development and the treated body.^{[citation needed]} Containing about twenty whole bodies in total, each Exhibition uses real human bodies that have been preserved permanently by a process called "polymer preservation" that prevents the natural decay process.^{[citation needed]}

Some of the specimens are not arranged so that they are performing activities such as playing basketball or conducting an orchestra.^{[citation needed]} Along the way are other displays showing organs, healthy lungs next to smoker's lungs and all of the arteries and veins contained within the human body.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Preservation process

The bodies are prevented from decay by process called polymer preservation, in which human tissue is permanently preserved using liquid silicone rubber. The essence of the process is the replacement of water and fatty material in the cells of the body first by acetone and then by a liquid silicone. The process that this form of preservation is derived from is from the original mortuary science using formaldehyde.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Reception

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BODIES… The Exhibition has been seen by more than 11 million people around the world. The Exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to view the complexity of their own organs and systems like never before. Medical professionals, teachers and families alike have benefited from the up-close and detailed look at the function of the human body.^{[citation needed]}

"Seeing the meticulously positioned bodies in BODIES…The Exhibition brings the magic of creation into clear focus. I was reminded of the awe felt moment in Anatomy Class when we were first presented our cadavers. Now America can taste medical school."^{[cite this quote]} Dr. Mehmet Oz, Oprah Medical Correspondent

"It is the first time that lay people can view the workings of the human body and see how it functions and how it can be weakened and destroyed by disease or by one's own lack of knowledge. It also shows us some of the beauty of God's handiwork."^{[cite this quote]} Monsignor Laurence Higgins, St. Lawrence Catholic Church, Tampa Bay, FL

"As an educator, I'm pleased to see that this exhibit does exactly what the best museums do for students, which is to inspire a sense of awe, wonder and excitement that actually makes learning fun."^{[cite this quote]} Randi Weingarten, President of the United Federation of Teachers

[edit] Criticism

Prior to the 2005 U.S. premiere, the Florida Attorney General expressed the opinion that the State Anatomical Board's approval should be required. The Board fought the Tampa exhibit, with its director expressing the opinion that the exhibit should be shut down. Premiere Exhibitions officials disagreed, claiming that the Board had jurisdiction only over medical schools and not museums; the exhibit opened two days ahead of schedule at the Tampa Museum of Science and Industry.^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

Questions regarding the origins of the bodies continue to be raised.^[9] In 2006, reporting from Dalian, China for the New York Times, David Barboza described "a ghastly new underground mini-industry" with "little government oversight, an abundance of cheap medical school labor and easy access to cadavers and organs."^[10] Premier representatives say "the bodies were not formally donated by people who agreed to be displayed."^[9] The director of the Anatomical Committee of the New York Associated Medical Schools (NYAMS) worries that "you have no documentation of who this is."^[5]

20/20 produced a major report exposing the "secret trade in Chinese bodies."^[11] Claiming that bodies are sold on the black market for $300, the report spawned not only a series of other articles^[12][13][14] but also a Congressional inquiry,^[15] an investigation by the NY Attorney General,^[12] and the resignation of Premier's CEO Arnie Geller.^[16]

Under the settlement agreement with New York City, Premier Exhibitions agreed to post disclaimers stating that they could not independently rule out the possibility that remains of Chinese prisoners were used in the production of the displays.^[17]

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo concluded his investigation of Premier, finding "The grim reality is that Premier Exhibitions has profited from displaying the remains of individuals who may have been tortured and executed in China. Despite repeated denials, we now know that Premier itself cannot demonstrate the circumstances that led to the death of the individuals. Nor is Premier able to establish that these people consented to their remains being used in this manner. Respect for the dead and respect for the public requires that Premier do more than simply assure us that there is no reason for concern. This settlement is a start."^[18]

In June 2007, Elaine Catz quit her job of 11 years as science education coordinator for the Carnegie Museum of Science in protest over the exhibit, citing religious objections and questions regarding provenance, including the issue of reports of organ harvesting from Falun Gong in China.^[19][20][21]

In 2007, a Washington State bill was introduced to ban exhibits of bodies without clear documentation of consent, and a similar bill was introduced in January 2008 by California legislator Fiona Ma.^[22][23][24]

In June 2008 New York State passed a bill requiring anyone showing an exhibit that uses real human bodies in museums across New York to get a permit to show where exactly the bodies came from. Senator Jim Alesi sponsored the bill.^[25]

Professional ethicists, human rights activists and religious leaders have also objected. "Given the (Chinese) government's track record on the treatment of prisoners, I find this exhibit deeply problematic," said Sharon Hom, the executive director of the advocacy group Human Rights in China.^[26] Professor Anita L. Allen, a University of Pennsylvania bioethicist, argued spending money to "gawk" at human remains should raise serious concerns.^[27] Thomas Hibbs, Baylor University ethicist, compares cadaver displays to pornography in that they reduce the subject to "the manipulation of body parts stripped of any larger human significance."^[28] Even if consent were to be obtained, Rabbi Danny Schiff maintains that we should still question what providing "bodies arranged in showcases for a hungry public" says about a society.^[29] Harry Wu, a long-time human rights activist, terms the practice of obtaining exhibit specimens from China "immoral" and describes how the Chinese label of 'unclaimed' on bodies may imply that families were not notified of the death.^[26][30]

Regarding the educational concerns around these exhibits, St. Louis Diocese Archbishop Raymond Burke directs Catholic Schools there to avoid field trips, citing serious questions for Catholics.^[31] Prior to the exhibit's opening in Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese endorsed the educational content of the exhibition, while noting that it would not be appropriate for everyone and welcoming continued discourse regarding the place of such exhibits in society.^[32] Rev. Daniel Pilarczyk, Archbishop of Cincinnati, issued a statement: "I do not believe that this exhibit is an appropriate destination for field trips by our Catholic schools."^[33]

In 2006, citing concern over how "some kids will process these images," Abbotsford, British Columbia School Superintendent Des McKay barred field trips to exhibits of plasticized human beings.^[34] In an editorial, Lutheran Reverend Christoph Reiners questioned the effect on the values of children.^[35] Elaine Catz, who helped coordinate field trips for the Carnegie Science Center prior to resigning in June 2007, maintains "it teaches that, once he is deceased, there is nothing wrong with taking a person's body without his consent; it teaches that there is nothing wrong with exploiting the dead in order to make a profit, as long as it is in the name of science or education or art. It teaches that it is incredibly easy to dehumanize others."^[21]

On April 21 2009 a French court ordered the closure of the exhibition in Paris on the grounds that it offends public decency and lacks respect for the dead giving the organisers 24 hours to close up or face fines of 20,000 euros a day.^[36] The court said that exhibiting dead bodies for profit is a "violation of the respect owed to them" and "under the law, the proper place for corpses is in the cemetery".^{[cite this quote]}

[edit] Venezuela customs incident

On March 4, 2009, after a week of presence in Venezuela, the exhibition in Caracas was closed by customs officials, and CICPC (Scientific, Criminological and Penal Investigations Corps) agents and a National Guard detachment, explaining that the bodies and parts were declared as "plastic" and that their intent was to determine the actual composition; if the exhibits are actual human remains this could constitute customs fraud, but if they turn out to be plastic replicas the organizers could be charged with false advertising.^[37][38]

After some 300 officials were present and took some of the pieces for forensic examinations, CICPC declared that the samples are actually of human origin, ^[39] and a request for documentation explaining the origin of the corpses including death records, appropriation procedures and consent for the use of the bodies is being prepared.^{[citation needed]} It is hoped that this information is provided by Premier Exhibitions, which has already had to explain to authorities in other cities, and to the New York attorney general, Andrew Cuomo, in May 2008.^{[citation needed]}

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez says he ordered the closure of "Bodies Revealed" exhibit because of "moral decomposition".^{[cite this quote]} He claimed that "here at the Sambil [Mall] in Caracas they had an exposition of bodies and I don't know what else – and Antonio Aponte [Venezuelan journalist] wrote a column with a lot of impact. Immediately I called the Vice President and told him to investigate. I sent the CICPC. I want to know if it is true that those are human bodies. Here we are in the presence of something macabre if these are human bodies."^{[cite this quote]} Chávez also argued that the exhibit organizers had earned a lot of money by abandoning respect for being human. "It is a very evident sign of the immense moral decomposition that is beating this planet amid the poor classes. We are trying to make a revolution that has to begin with a spiritual ethic or it will be nothing,"^{[cite this quote]} he said.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official website (most of the site requires Macromedia Flash)
• Bodies Exhibit at South Street Seaport: MondoMap
• No Bodies 4 Profit protest website
• Anti-BODIES Virtual Protest Site
• DignityinBoston Protest website
• Protest in Columbus OH, video.
• California Assembly approves legislation to ensure prior consent
• Church of England, Manchester UK website. "Giving you the facts that the corpse show industry would rather you did not think about"