Body Worlds

Yesterday, my friends and I traveled up to Philadelphia Pennsylvania to see the “Body Worlds” exhibit. The exhibit was held at the Franklin Institute Science Museum and it consisted of the works of Gunther Von Hagens. For those unfamiliar, Gunther Von Hagens is a world famous anatomist/artist who has made anatomical sculptures from living beings using a process called “Plastination”. Plastination is a method for the preservation of putrefiable biological specimens where the structural elements of the specimens are fixated, dehydrated, and under vacuum conditions are saturated with reactive polymers such as silicone rubber, Subsequently, the specimens are hardened and shaped into sculptures. In his own words, Mr. Hagens states “Plastination unveils the beauty beneath the skin, frozen in time between death and decay”. In my opinion, I found the exhibit both fascinating and creepy and it made me wonder if I’d ever let that happen to my body when I die.

I found the exhibit fascinating because it was interesting to see what the human body looks like from the inside. Although I have seen anatomy books before and some anatomical models, this was just different because the subjects represented a wide variety of people and conditions. For example, some of the specimens were from healthy individuals who sadly met an untimely death while others were older individuals suffering from different conditions such as hernia, lung cancer, or various orthopedic conditions. On the other hand the exhibit was creepy, because all those sculptures/anatomical models were once living people who have willingly donated their bodies to be dissected, posed in various positions, and anonymously put on display for the whole world to see. At the end of the exhibit there were donor cards for those interested in donating their bodies to be put on exhibit.

Although I took a few cards with me for the sake of scrap booking, I paused for a moment to think if I’d do that with my body when I die. It would be a great way to live forever (in a sense) and to have my body used for scientific as well as artistic research, but the bad thing is after I die and do decide to donate my body to “Body Worlds”, I’d really have no say as to what’s done with my body. Some of the exhibits just consisted of just parts such as the lungs or kidneys. Also, all the bodies were stripped of their skins and made anonymous so nobody would really know that was I. Also it does make it hard for my friends and family to memorialize me if just pieces of me are on exhibit in some museum.

Anyway, maybe I shouldn’t be thinking about that stuff right now as I intend to live a bit longer (“God” willing) LOL, but as a whole I’m glad I was able to check out the exhibit and I feel I now have a better understanding/appreciation for the wonderful piece of work which is the human body.