Bodies At the Museum
Would you go to see this exhibit?
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/07/09/traveling_cadaver_show_wants_you/
I don't think I will.
I also haven't had the courage to fill out a donor organ card yet, although I could probably be persuaded to do so if I spent some time with the appropriate person.
What do you think?
Wondrous, fascinating, educational, or just grisly, inappropriate and gratuitous?
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/07/09/traveling_cadaver_show_wants_you/
I don't think I will.
I also haven't had the courage to fill out a donor organ card yet, although I could probably be persuaded to do so if I spent some time with the appropriate person.
What do you think?
Wondrous, fascinating, educational, or just grisly, inappropriate and gratuitous?
posted by PeaceBang at 9:42 PM
17 Comments:
Oh, shoot. That's what I thought someone would say.
Okay, how about this question: did you feel like you might be offending any ancestor spirits?
Also, how was the crowd? Did they seem to be titillated, tweaked out, impressed, or what?
I just really fear the ethical question of how this man obtained these bodies & whether or not he had explicit permission to plasticize them. If I can't be assured of the 100% enthusiastic and voluntary participation of all the previous occupants of the cadavers on display, I don't think I can bring myself to attend.
Cadavers are really expensive. My guess is that he's on the up and up. Would you consider giving your body for art?
I might.
Of course you could always fly to Scotland and see the new Ron Mueck show. His people are silicone and acrylic.
CC
Fascinating. Not sure I'd want to be "plastinated" myself, although I'm not sure why, seeing as how I don't believe my body will serve any real purpose after I'm dead and harvested.
After years of feeling icky about it, I decided to become an organ donor. As an American of African descent, I don't feel I have much of a choice. Black Americans have a higher rate of organ rejection than other people, but they are less likely to reject organs from other African descended people.
The DH plans to donate his body to science after he dies. That made me feel funny but again, not for any rational reason. One thing neither of us likes is that apparently a number of bodies donated "to science" are used by the military to test grenades and stuff. Nice. Unfortunately, you can't stipulate that your body isn't used for such a purpose. An academy or research facility could sell your body to the government if they don't need it.
I went to a Bodies exhibit. I want to be plasticined when I die. my post about it.
I feel like humanity's universal heritage of caring for the dead has been ripped up and sold. It is repulsive and I would have it criminialized tomorrow if I could. I weep to think about it.
I absolutely agre with boys in the band here.
I would criminalize this also.
I think it is an interesting exhibit but it does give me a little of the heebie jeebies. I was never one to be at east with dead bodies of any sort. My only concern with this particular exhibit is that there was quite some suspicion that when the guy first started his little exhibit that he couldn't find enough bodies so he managed to procure some executed Chinese prisioners that most certainly did not give their consent. I don't knwo if it was ever proven, but it seemed pretty credible that the early bodies were not obtained ethically. Which just overall makes me question the guy in general and think he is a little shady. Now he has set up a nice little organization to procure bodies, but if he was willing to do it with not-so-consenting people I just feel like he might not be doing the whole thing in a loving or ethical way. I won't see it. Just seems a little suspicious. But I'm not against the idea of bodies being displayed for educational purposes. For art... not sure about that.
i mean at ease, not at east. and know and not know. sorry i don't know how to edit the post to correct it. use spell check before you post ANYTHING, elizabeth.
LEAKAGE!!???? Oh my God. Oh my living God.
I should note that it's Black/African Americans who have a higher rate of organ rejection than other Americans (not other "people").
PeaceBang (and everyone else), please sign up to be an organ donor. Without a kidney transplant (luckily from a relative) I would have grown up without a mother. I understand many people feel "weird" about it, but for me that isn't a convincing argument when faced with someone's life in the balance. I personally can't imagine being buried/cremated with all my organs intact when they could be used to help save a precious life. I'm not saying that only the soul is important and it's "just" your body- think of it as a way to celebrate life, to give of yourself. From dust to dust, as they say, but shouldn't we do the best with our flesh that we can while we have it? Thanks
Oh dear, Bill Baar and I have agreed on something. It was bound to happen sooner or later.
No, you just don't understand me and perhaps rushed to judge.
That often happens because blogs are thin.
Bodies, human and other, are more the meat. There works of the creator and I do weep at this.
We avoid viewing the stuffed birds at the Field Museum from TR's hunting trips to the jungle.
I avoid this too and that the bodies willingly donated of little difference to me.
A show similar to this one (my understanding is that there are two competing shows) is in Houston right now and it bothers me on so many levels, I haven't gone. The huge billboards all over town really creep me out.
peacebang, you have to go see this.
It was beautiful. and each element was laid out so fantastically. With special quotes and everything at the chicago exhibit. It is done so well.
If anything, I have more reverence for my body --- it was an element behind my decision to join weight watchers.
You GOTTA go.
Dame O.
Thought this article in the New York Times this morning might be of interest to anyone who might still read this
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/08/business/worldbusiness/08bodies.html?hp&ex=1155096000&en=c6a30b6ca56c7dd7&ei=5094&partner=homepage
it talks about the body factories in China that prepare the bodies and "parts" for this display and others like it. I just don't feel comfortable with mass produced bodies for display.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/08/business/
worldbusiness/08bodies.html?hp&ex=11550960
00&en=c6a30b6ca56c7dd&ei=5094&partner=homepage
seems the link doesn't show up if i leave it whole. so you'll have to paste it in three parts. sorry for dual posts....
Thanks, Elizabeth. I've decided not to go see it out of a sense of protest.
There has to be a way to do a similar exhibit without using real human bodies. Of course, a tenth of the people would attend, but that's precisely my point.
completely fascinating... just found your blog - as a minister's wife, i am a fan! loved the 'beauty tips for ministers', which i sent to my mom, who is also a minister!
Post a Comment
<< Home