'Bodies' exhibit opens June 14 at Ala Moana Center

[Philosophia]

'Bodies' exhibit opens June 14 at Ala Moana Center

"BODIES…The Exhibition," which features preserved human body specimens, will open next month at Ala Moana Center, next to Nordstrom.

The exhibition features whole and partial human body specimens, giving individuals the opportunity to view the complexity of their own organs and systems. Tickets go on sale tomorrow for the exhibit, which opens June 14..

From here (http://honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080522/BREAKING04/80522037/0/BREAKING03#pluckcomments).

Here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodies_The_Exhibition) is some more information on it. It would be fascinating to see it but I'm curious to know where the bodies actually came from.

[brymble]

medical schools, most likely. I know the U of R medical schools donated specimens for use in exhibits at the rochester museum and science center.

My mom worked at the multi-discipline labs there. I grew up hanging out in the labs, and when I was older I'd bring my sketchbook and draw specimens for extra figure drawing practice. I never saw any cadavers, but I drew plenty of skeletons.

[Aidron]

From here (http://honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080522/BREAKING04/80522037/0/BREAKING03#pluckcomments).

Here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodies_The_Exhibition) is some more information on it. It would be fascinating to see it but I'm curious to know where the bodies actually came from.

I saw it in Cincinnati, OH and it was definitely worth the price. However, I really wished there would have been names accompanying the bodies.

There are several exhibits like this, with slightly differing names, and I imagine the individual exhibits change (or that's what I was told at least) as they progress around the country.

[Windygo]

It's in Kansas City right now... I'd love to see it but I don't have the money for a ticket. There was a lot of controversy over figuring out where the bodies came from- a Catholic church protested, even- so it was naturally popular. The people running the show assured that they were donated. My old art professor suggested they came from third-world countries (he had to order skeletons for the class to draw) either families, or sometime unclaimed after a war or other disaster.

[Agaliha]

Oh God, I find it disturbing. Only because I have health anxiety issues...I don't like to see things like that _inabox_


I wonder if this is true?


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 rumors of harvesting of live organs from Falun Gong (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falun_Gong_and_live_organ_harvesting)[11] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodies_The_Exhibition#cite_note-10)[12] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodies_The_Exhibition#cite_note-11)[13] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodies_The_Exhibition#cite_note-12) prisoners in China.

(snip)

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.[17] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodies_The_Exhibition#cite_note-16) Professor Anita Allen, a University of Pennsylvania bioethicist, argued spending money to "gawk" at human remains should raise serious concerns.[18] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodies_The_Exhibition#cite_note-17) 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.”[19] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodies_The_Exhibition#cite_note-18) 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.[20] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodies_The_Exhibition#cite_note-19) Harry Wu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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.[21] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodies_The_Exhibition#cite_note-20)[22] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodies_The_Exhibition#cite_note-21)Some of the comments here (http://honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080522/BREAKING04/80522037/0/BREAKING03#pluckcomments) also mention the bodies being of political prisoners.

Make me wonder about it...?