Body Worlds!

I finally got a chance to check out Body Worlds, the touring exhibition of plastinized human bodies created by German anatomist Gunther von Hagens. It is a fascinating display of the human body, preserved through the process of plastination, and posed to reveal the intricacies of the human body, from muscles to nerves to bones. The exhibit gives the chance for people other than medical students and anatomists a chance to check out the beautiful complexity of the human body.

It is a hugely popular exhibit. The Milwaukee Public Museum kept the museum open for 63 straight hours to accommodate the many people who wanted to see the exhibit before it closed. It was great to see so many people so excited for a science exhibit. When we left the museum at 11 p.m. on Saturday there was still a steady stream of people waiting to get it. And the exhibit can cause a person to be reflective, about the complexity of life and death, in a way that an anatomy textbook just can't convey.

My own visit was influenced by my readings beforehand from the American Journal of Bioethics. Its April 2007 issue devoted several articles to the ethics of the exhibit. There is certainly an educational value to the project and its education is available to the masses. But the point that stood out to me was the idea of preserving the autonomy of the individuals who donated their bodies to the exhibit. The article reported that exhibits were presented with a title card, signed by von Hagen, presenting the exhibits as art, and in doing so taking away the identity of the person. There were no signature cards at the Milwaukee exhibit, though each had a title, year of creation, and a guide plaque naming the exposed muscles, bones and nerves. But I at least, did wonder a little bit about the people. They have been stripped of their skin and any ready identifiers. Though oddly enough, most still had their belly buttons. They are posed in a way which may or may not reflect who they were when they were living. Was the teacher really a teacher? Did the chess player ever play chess a day in his living life? What are their stories?

What we do know is this: Each of these people made a decision to take their shell of a body and donate it when they no longer needed it, so others may learn. Maybe that's all we need to know. But the residual journalist in me wants to know more.