Melbourne's corpse exhibition

The Amazing Human Body exhibition
The Amazing Human Body Exhibition - which features 20 whole human bodies that have been preserved and then placed in a range of poses - are set to get under everybody’s skin at Waterfront City, 30 June 2007.

The Amazing Human Body is an educational exhibit that is intended to provide audiences with a unique and visually-informative perspective on the inner working of the human body by viewing real human specimens, preserved through a method called ‘plastination’.

During the process of plastination, about 70 percent of the body (mainly fluids and fat) is replaced by polymers such as silicone rubber or polyester resin that retain all tissue structure via a special vacuum process. The technique can take up to 5,000 hours for a full-body plastinate.

The Amazing Human Body exhibition presents approximately 400 real human specimens, including 18 whole bodies and individual organs and aims to inspire the general public to learn more about how the human body functions and how lifestyle choices affect the body.

The exhibition depicts different compositions of the human body, including the skeletal, muscular and intestinal systems, special specimens showing nerves and blood vessels as well as examples of the way a baby develops in the uterus, all without the use of glass cases or formaldehyde.

More images after the jump.

The Amazing Human Body exhibition
The Amazing Human Body exhibition
Source: Waterfrontcity
Images: Enorth
Tags: |

Comments

Anonymous said…
Before you go, please consider the controversy surrounding the orgins of the bodies and Gunther von Hagen's background. (http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,344539,00.html)

Several of the bodies had to be returned due to gunshot wounds to the head. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/germany/article/0,2763,1129261,00.html)

There are 11 body processing plants in Dalain China, right next to the prisons. We should question whether the system with such a horrific human rights record, and also the same one that is poisoning our toys with lead paint can be trusted with this new 2 billion dollar entertainment opportunity. (http://en.epochtimes.com/news/6-3-29/39840.html)
See www.nobodies4profit.org if you're interested in more information
Education or Freak Show?
"It's all about education? No. It's not all about that," said Dr. Howard Markel, director of the Center for the History of Medicine at the University of Michigan. "It's about the money. This is an extraordinarily successful entertainment show."
Markel and others are concerned that shows like this do not use bodies from consenting donors and do not make public the paper trail showing exactly where the cadavers came from.
"I'm all in favor of people looking at and understanding the human body," he said, but added that he thinks there are other ways, besides public spectacle, to educate people about their inner workings. "Frankly, I don't want to be somebody's Saturday entertainment."