BODIES... The Exhibition

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Promotional poster

BODIES… The Exhibition is an exhibition, operated by Premier Exhibitions, Inc.[1][2], featuring real, whole and partial body specimens that have been dissected and preserved through a plastination process, displaying the complexity of the human body.

Premier Exhibitions 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]

Dalian Medical University in China through its Dalian Medical University Plastination Co. subsidiary is the source of the cadavers which have undergone plastination. [4]

A competing version is Body Worlds.

Contents

[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. 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.

Some of the specimens are arranged so that they are performing activities such as playing basketball or conducting an orchestra. Along the way are other displays showing organs, healthy lungs across from smoker's lungs and a casting of all of the arteries and veins contained within the human body.

[edit] Preservation process

The bodies are prevented from decay by process called polymer preservation, in which human tissue is permanently preserved using something similar to liquid silicone rubber. The essence of this process is dehydration using acetone, and a polymer bath. Polymer is a combination of multiple plastics/rubbers in liquid form; once the body has been bathed in it and placed in a vacuum chamber, all water leaves when the acetone relieves itself and the polymer sets in. The process from which this form of preservation is derived is the original mortuary science using formaldehyde.

[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.[5][6][7][8][9]

Questions regarding the origins of the bodies continue to be raised.[10] 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."[11] Premier representatives say "the bodies were not formally donated by people who agreed to be displayed."[10] The director of the Anatomical Committee of the New York Associated Medical Schools (NYAMS) worries that "you have no documentation of who this is."[6]

20/20 produced a major report exposing the "secret trade in Chinese bodies."[12] Claiming that bodies are sold on the black market for $300, the report spawned not only a series of other articles[13][14][15] but also a Congressional inquiry,[16] an investigation by the NY Attorney General,[13] and the resignation of Premier's CEO Arnie Geller.[17]

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.[18]

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."[19]

In contrast to BODIES...The Exhibition, the first organization to use plastination with human bodies, "Body Worlds", maintains a more rigorous standard for donation and keeps appropriate records of the donors. A commission set up by the California Science Center in Los Angeles in 2004 confirmed von Hagens' commitment to ethical practices, and published its Summary of Ethical Review (Body Worlds: An Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies Summary of Ethical Review 2004/2005 [1]). The commission matched death certificates and body donation forms, and verified informed legal consent of the bodies in the exhibitions. However, to ensure the privacy and anonymity promised to body donors, Von Hagens' Institute for Plastination maintains a firewall between body donors' documentation and finished plastinated bodies. To date, more than 9,000 individuals have pledged to donate their bodies to the Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, in Germany.

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.[20][21][22]

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.[23][24][25]

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.[26]

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.[27] Professor Anita L. Allen, a University of Pennsylvania bioethicist, argued spending money to "gawk" at human remains should raise serious concerns.[28] 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."[29] 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.[30] 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.[27][31]

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.[32] 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.[33] 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."[34]

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.[35] In an editorial, Lutheran Reverend Christoph Reiners questioned the effect on the values of children.[36] 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."[22]

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.[37] 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.[38][39]

This is in line with the manner in which specimens were brought into the United States as well, through claiming them as "plastic models" as explored on the 20/20 segment.

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, [40] 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] Hawaii Shuts Down Bodies Exhibit

In July of 2009, Hawaii has become the first state to officially ban exhibitions of human bodies for profit. Lawmakers in the island state said the possibility of profiting off executed prisoners from China would not be tolerated in a state where many residents come from Asian backgrounds.

State Rep. Marcus Oshiro, Chair of the House Committee on Finance, said he introduced his state's legislation after watching the ABC News 20/20 probe into the origins of the bodies.[41]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Welcome to Premier Exhibitions". Premier Exhibitions, Inc. http://www.prxi.com/. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  2. ^ Premier Exhibitions, Inc (July 26, 2005). "'BODIES… The Exhibition' Makes Its World Debut". Press release. http://www.prxi.com/pdf/bte-debut.pdf. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  3. ^ "Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934". Premier Exhibitions. May 7, 2008. http://secfilings.nasdaq.com/edgar_conv_html%2f2008%2f05%2f07%2f0000950152-08-003593.html. Retrieved February 2, 2009. 
  4. ^ Negative publicity piles on Premier Exhibitions - Atlanta Business Chronicle - February 27, 2008
  5. ^ Associated Press (August 17, 2005). "Museum Plans to Open Corpse Show in Fla.". redOrbit.com. http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/211665/museum_plans_to_open_corpse_show_in_fla/index.html. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  6. ^ a b Winter, Jana (February 28, 2006). "Body exhibits titillate, but are they legal?". Columbia University. http://jscms.jrn.columbia.edu/cns/2006-02-28/winter-bodyexhibits/. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  7. ^ Associated Press (August 13, 2005). "Attorney general's decision may scuttle Tampa cadaver exhibit". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-08-13-cadaver-exhibit_x.htm?csp=34. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  8. ^ State of Florida (August 12, 2005). "Crist Reponds to Florida Anatomical Board". Press release. http://myfloridalegal.com/__852562220065EE67.nsf/0/86A1D427312C3F8F8525705B0060F0F6?Open&Highlight=0,bodies,the,exhibition. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  9. ^ "Bodies Exhibition not dead after all". Tampa Bay Business Journal. August 19, 2005. http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2005/08/15/daily57.html. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  10. ^ a b Ulaby, Neda (August 11, 2006). "Origins of Exhibited Cadavers Questioned". All Things Considered (National Public Radio). http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5637687. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  11. ^ Barboza, David (August 8, 2006). "China Turns Out Mummified Bodies for Displays". The New York Times. http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/08/08/business/worldbusiness/08bodies.html. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  12. ^ Ross, Brian; Rhonda Schwarts and Anna Schecter (February 14, 2008). "Exclusive: Secret Trade in Chinese Bodies". 20/20 (ABC News). http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4291334. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  13. ^ a b Esposito, Richard; Anna Schecter (May 29, 2008). "Crackdown on Ghoulish 'Body Exhibitions'". ABC News. http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4950595. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  14. ^ Schecter, Anna (February 15, 2008). "Chinese Human Rights Activist Raises Serious Questions About Bodies Exhibitions". ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4296699. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  15. ^ Ross, Brian; Rhonda Schwarts and Anna Schecter (February 15, 2008). "N.Y., China Investigating Black Market in Bodies". ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4296982. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  16. ^ Schecter, Anna (February 20, 2008). "Lawmakers Call for Congress to Probe Bodies Shows in Wake of '20/20' Report". ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4316254. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  17. ^ Schecter, Anna (April 21, 2008). "'Bodies' CEO Resigns After '20/20' Report". ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4696964. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  18. ^ Chan, Sewell (May 28, 2008). "'Bodies' Show Must Put Up Warnings". The New York Times. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/29/bodies-exhibit-must-put-up-warnings/. Retrieved May 14, 2009. 
  19. ^ New York State Attorney General (May 29, 2008). "Cuomo Settlement With 'Bodies. . . .The Exhibition' Ends The Practice Of Using Human Remains Of Suspect Origins". Press release. http://www.oag.state.ny.us/media_center/2008/may/may29a_08.html. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  20. ^ Smydo, Joe (February 17, 2008). "Science Center defends bringing exhibit to city". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08048/858154-85.stm. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  21. ^ Matas, David; David Kilgour (July 6, 2006). "Report Into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China". http://organharvestinvestigation.net/report0607/report060706-eng.pdf. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  22. ^ a b Catz, Elaine (June 24, 2007). "Sunday Forum: Exhibition of exploitation". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07175/796418-109.stm. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  23. ^ "HB 1253 - 2007-08: Requiring written authorization to display human remains for a commercial purpose". http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/Summary.aspx?bill=1253&year=2007. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  24. ^ "AB 1519 Assembly Bill - AMENDED". http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/asm/ab_1501-1550/ab_1519_bill_20080117_amended_asm_v96.html. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  25. ^ Lambert, Edie (January 17, 2008). "'Bodies' Exhibit Draws Fire From Capitol". KCRA-TV. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncpCd4qR0-w. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  26. ^ WROC-TV (June 19, 2008). "Cracking down on human body exhibits". Nexstar Broadcasting Group. http://rochesterhomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=17741. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  27. ^ a b Jacobs, Andrew (November 18, 2005). "Cadaver Exhibition Raises Questions Beyond Taste". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/18/nyregion/18bodies.html. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  28. ^ Cronin, Mike (September 7, 2007). "Science Center's 'Bodies' exhibit controversial". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_526171.html. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  29. ^ Hibbs, Thomas S. (Winter 2007). "Dead Body Porn". New Atlantis magazine 15: 128–131. http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/dead-body-porn. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  30. ^ Schiff, Danny (October 14, 2007). "Sunday Forum: BODIES - Don't go". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07287/825061-35.stm. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  31. ^ Crabtree, Penni (May 24, 2007). "Bodies bring in the bucks". The San Diego Union-Tribune. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070524-9999-1b24corpse.html. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  32. ^ KTVI (August 28, 2007). "No Body World Exhibit For Catholic Field Trips". Fox Television Stations. http://www.myfoxstl.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=4201800&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  33. ^ Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh (September 14, 2007). "Statement From The Diocese of Pittsburgh on 'Bodies…The Exhibition'". Press release. http://www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/bodies/state.pdf. 
  34. ^ "Archbishop of Cincinnati says 'Bodies...The Exhibition' undermines human dignity". Catholic News Agency. January 30, 2008. http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11622. Retrieved February 2, 2009. 
  35. ^ Lazaruk, Susan (October 1, 2006). "Abbotsford schools barred from taking ghoulish field trip". The Province. http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=f89ece3d-f0e0-4d55-aa2e-746a9fcd9079&k=63910. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  36. ^ Reiners, Christoph (September 19, 2006). "Body worlds objectifies humanity". Abbotsford News. http://dignityinboston.googlepages.com/bodyworldsobjectifieshumanity. Retrieved September 17, 2008. 
  37. ^ Reuters (April 22, 2009). "French judge rules 'indecent' bodies exhibition must close". The Irish Times. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2009/0422/1224245137202.html. Retrieved May 14, 2009. 
  38. ^ Bodzin, Steven (March 5, 2009). "Cadaver Fears Prompt Venezuela Customs to Close 'Bodies' Show". Bloomberg L.P.. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aSLQPAxFGskI. Retrieved May 14, 2009. 
  39. ^ Orozco, Fidel Eduardo (March 5, 2009). "Seniat clausura en el Sambil exposición 'Bodies Revealed'" (in Spanish). El Universal. http://www.eluniversal.com/2009/03/05/til_art_seniat-clausura-en-e_05A2243003.shtml. Retrieved May 14, 2009. 
  40. ^ "Cuerpos de "Bodies" sí son humanos" (in Spanish). El Universal. March 9, 2009. http://cine.eluniversal.com/2009/03/09/til_art_cuerpos-de-bodies_1296573.shtml. Retrieved May 14, 2009. 
  41. ^ Hawaii Shuts Down Real Human Bodies Show Island State Becomes First in the Union to Ban Controversial Exhibitions of Real Human Bodies from China By ANNA SCHECTER July 13, 2009 http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Story?id=8072171&page=1

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BODIES..._The_Exhibition"