As many of you may be aware, the Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science is presently hosting the exhibit "Our Body: The Universe Within." http://www.ourbodytheuniversewithin.com/
Here is a link to a video on the Mary Brogan website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPVqM5MRaCo
Now, here are two more clips showing the exhibit:
This is from the Pittsburgh Tribune: "Famous forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht narrates a tour of the amazing "Bodies" exhibit at the Carnegie Science Center Sportsworks in Pittsburgh." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kJmypE1DGQ&NR=1
Here is a news blip from Orlando: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VUpjePNV6U
Let's have a conversation about this explicit and often hotly contested exhibit.
What are your thoughts? Would you want to visit this exhibit? Why? Have you already? What are your reactions to this? Is this art or is this science? Or is it both? What do you think? What other issues come up?
Here is a link to a video on the Mary Brogan website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPVqM5MRaCo
Now, here are two more clips showing the exhibit:
This is from the Pittsburgh Tribune: "Famous forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht narrates a tour of the amazing "Bodies" exhibit at the Carnegie Science Center Sportsworks in Pittsburgh." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kJmypE1DGQ&NR=1
Here is a news blip from Orlando: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VUpjePNV6U
Let's have a conversation about this explicit and often hotly contested exhibit.
What are your thoughts? Would you want to visit this exhibit? Why? Have you already? What are your reactions to this? Is this art or is this science? Or is it both? What do you think? What other issues come up?
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ReplyDeleteI actually went to an exhibit just like this in miami. I enjoyed it alot because it was different from the ordinary, it was original and entertaining and very informative at the same time. Yes it is science because it has the informative aspect but then again it is also art because the body in a sense is an art form. It can be altered and changed to like liking of someone but only to an extent just like art. This exhibit probably had a lot of controversial remarks made about it because of the art being presented. But hasn't art always been controversial? Not maybe to the extent as of today and with all the conservatives trying to control everything but still their were controversies. An example of this is "Le D'Jeuner sur I'Herbe" or "The Luncheon on the Grass." This was a controversial piece in the mid 1800's because nudity was acceptable in classical settings but not in contemporary settings which is where this artwork takes place. A more recent controversial art piece is "Ecce Homo." It is a collection of 12 pictures depicting jesus and his decpiles and homosexuals which offended many religious groups. So in comparison to other art works, this exhibit is just scientific art and nothing more.
ReplyDeleteLike Jordan, I have also been to a bodies exhibit. I went to an exhibit in Tama at the Museum of Science and Industry. I greatly enjoyed the exhibit both times I went. The first time I went was with my family, I only went because my mother dragged me to see it. I thought it would be really boring but instead I found it quite interesting. The second time I went was with my anatomy teacher and the rest of my class. He made the exhibit more scientific by explaining each and every part of the body. I think this is both an art and science. It is science because it allows viewers to see actual internal parts of the human and how the body functions. On the other hand, I feel it can take the form of art as well. The exhibit I saw had the bodies contorted and arranged in many different positions, which can represent different perspectives of artists. I also agree with Jordan when he says that this exhibit can be controversial. The bodies are of people who donated their bodies to science but others might think it is wrong to use the bodies for public viewing rather than for scientific research. In Tampa, one body was of a mother and her unborn child still inside her stomach. I’m sure people could argue that it is wrong to show such graphic images of people. In addition, the bodies have their “private parts” still attached to them. I saw a little girl at the exhibit ask her father why the body had such a big wiener (I think that was inappropriate for a child to see but everyone has different opinions). Some like the exhibit and others don’t but I found to be an interesting view of the human body.
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ReplyDeleteYes, this is my third post I was a little confused...and I deleted the first one but can't delete the second one here goes...third time's a charm! Anyway,I actually am very interested in this museum. Back home, in Tampa, Florida, our museum, the Museum of Science better known as MOSI, recently had an exhibit similar to this called, “Body Worlds & The Story of the Heart”. This is the same exhibit Alicia mentioned above. I was totally interested in going to it but it closed before I could get there, which is very unfortunate. I think visiting this exhibit would not only be interesting because I would have the opportunity to go and see real body parts from real people but I could also actually learn something. It is supposed to be educational so I could learn many new things on the human body and the structure and how it works while looking at some interesting things. In my opinion, I do not think this is an art of any kind. I believe the bodies are used strictly for the educational purposes they are serving in the museum. Others may see it as an art but I do not think human remains can be considered art. Other issues that come up are is this okay? Is it okay to use human remains in a science museum and I say it is. Using the real human remains as opposed to manmade models is helpful. It looks real and has details that can not be duplicated in a model. Also, using the remains can show those who are interested what their bodies look like inside. I personally, would like to see myself inside and out and with this exhibit I can see those things. Although I don't agree with these figures being referred ta as art I like Jordan's statement about it being "scientific art". I think that is a good way to put it
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ReplyDeleteI think this exhibit would be really interesting to go see. We were actually supposed to go and see it for my anatomy class this past year but that never happened. I actually wasn't interested at all when my teach told me about it but now after reading about it and seeing videos I am relatively interested. To tell the truth though the videos were enough, I know enough about the human body right now. Knowing what is good and what isn't good for the body is just enough for me. I would not be interested in seeing it mostly because that stuff doesn't intrigue me. Yes it is what I am, but as long as I'm functioning right I don't really want to see any insides or graphic images. My reaction is mixed. I think it is a good idea in some ways. Everyone can relate to the human body, because everyone is a human specimen. However I feel that could just as easily be displayed with plastic parts. The human fetuses in the jars shown in the video disturbed me. As far as those people being sent over from Asia as unidentified bodies I feel that is wrong. Who is to say what should be done with another person's body. I'm sure they could find just enough people that would volunteer for that to be done with their body after they die. I don't believe it is as much art as it is science. Yes the human body is a beautiful thing, with all the complicated parts and things that could go wrong, yet it still finds a way to function for most people without problems. However I feel that art would be reconstructing and simulating those bodies with plastic or whatever else they use. As far as people being offended after they go visit, I feel that is ridiculous. It is clear what the exhibit is before one enters it, so why enter if one knows he or she won't like it. Unlike Jordan and Alicia, I have not been to one of these exhibits. Nor would I be very interested to go. Alicia said something about the private parts, well though they are kind of inappropriate, so are a lot of other things in the exhibit. They are also a very important part of the human anatomy. I feel that would be an awkward question to answer to my child though. I agree with Brian that it is supposed to be educational, not art.
ReplyDeleteIs Bodies, the Exhibition, a fascinating and educational experience or is it a ghoulish display? Is this exhibit disrespectful of the dead and those no longer with rights? Further, does the country of origin for the bodies, China, cast further suspicion on the origins and motives behind this exhibit? these are some of the many question I have when I read about this exhibit. My family and I have decided to not go for a number of reasons, mainly political and human rights based. The main concern we had was how and where these bodies came from and was this really nothing more than a "Carnival Side Show?" In addition, anytime China is involved in something I have a natural suspicion. What right do the dead have? What rights do prisoners have? Does the financial success of these exhibits create a market for dead body harvesting similar to what occurred in Europe when autopsies on dead were first being performed? There are some major issues to be considered here. The plastination of bodies is concerning me to me especially if it is done to raise money under the guise of education. The recent death of Michael Jackson made this ring true to me as I heard one news show discuss Jackson's desire to be plastinated after death. Where did he come up with the idea? I wonder if Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum would adopt this practice instead of using wax? Somehow I see a Vincent Price horror movie here! As this exhibit makes its tour there is increasing controversy and concerns. Many human rights organizations are opposed to this because of China's world's worst humsan rights record. ABC's 20/20 news show did a report that raised many ethical concerns and debated the question of science versus the dignity of the dead. California even passed a bill in reaction to the controversy that said that only bodies that have family permission can be displayed in such exhibits. I am concerned that it is not clear where these bodies have come from; prisons, work camps, executed prisoners (China does this more than anyone) or simply homeless people. I am also concerned by our society's SELECTIVE MEMORY. The Nazi's were infamous for conducting experiments on deceased and alive Jews, Gypsies, and other prisoners in the name of science and education. Following the world's discovery of this science after World War II, it was called atrocities. Does a program that allows promoters to obtain bodies without the deceased or their family's permission cross the line of ethics and dignity in death? I don't dispute that this exhibit is supposed to be fascinating, but I see a bigger issue here involving human rights, dignity, and scientific appropriateness.
ReplyDeleteadded to my first post...After looking over everyone's comments, I unfortunately disagree with everyone. Yes it may be fascinating to go and see the bodies, but as I mentioned above, this is an ethic and human right issue. This so called "experimentation" is exactly what the Nazi's did to the Jews, Gypies, etc. The world condemned these actions after learning about them then. So you're saying that because it is now the 21st century and the Holocaust was over 50 years ago it makes it ok to do a repeat performance? I find this to be absurd and disturbing. Maybe everyone feels that it's ok because this museum was in the U.S.? One may never know. But what I do know is that these people never had a say and just because they were from another country or that they were prisoners or homeless does not make it ok for us to be able to look at these exploited bodies.
ReplyDeleteThere are bases for Matt’s argument, and I will admit that. On the other side however, is where my agreement lies. I wish I could have been like Brittany and Alicia’s class that got to go. People give their bodies to science; these people aren’t killed for it. What is so wrong with allowing the general public feed their interest that they could not otherwise do? Unless people are studying body-related sciences, they don’t get to enrich their minds. I don’t find it an ethics issue so long as the bodies were dedicated to science and the bodies were not defiled. Questions surrounding the body and its intricacies have been around since Michelangelo and Da Vinci’s time when hey tried o explain it. Is there really something wrong with answering our questions? Even some of the most religious people in the world would appreciate an opportunity like this. I personally would love to see it. I grew up with a father trying to get his nursing degree and a mother that had been a nurse for a decade. I find it scientific because this is what you see in medical school, but I don’t see the art past my own fascination. Why is this an ethics issue if this is the same thing you study in medical school and practice on cadavers? There are so many things I wish I could do and see but cannot because I’m not majoring in anything in the medical field. If it is truly that much of a controversy, why not just allow high school and college students the chance to see it? Why quash the natural curiosity? I understand the ‘just because we can doesn’t mean we should’ argument, but if they allow their bodies to be studied we are not crossing an ethical line and are entitled to he enriching of our minds and the minds of future generations.
ReplyDeleteWell I also went to this exhibit. They had it in Miami, I thought at first glimpse how extrodinary this site was built. I was trying to remember the muscle groups and also the bone structures. In awe in this site I was automaticly hooked on it. Then I percieved that all the bodies were Asian influenced. Struck by that, I also saw that all the lungs were black due intense smoking. I later learned that this exhibit was brought into question in court. Stateing that the procedures of this exhibit were inhumane, that these people didnt offer themeselves but when they died they were taken. But furthermore if any human being when they die and before that gives themself to scientific research then its fine. Its the same thing about being an organ dono, you want to do its not mandotory. You would be a helping out life by doing so. Giving your body to scientific research is a helping hand to inhance the knowledge we have now and make a better tommorow.
ReplyDeleteI think this exhibit is so interesting, I would love to go see it. I think it’s a bold yet brilliant idea. I think its so interesting because not every Joe Schmoe on the street has an opportunity to see things like this and this is an amazing opportunity for everyday people to see and learn about this stuff. This exhibit is especially interesting to me, because in high school I interned at the CSI unit in my town and I got to see a lot of the victims and there autopsy photos so I would really like to see an even better example. A more in depth view would be awesome. My reaction to all of this was “Awesome!!” I’ve been wanting to go to this exhibit since it came around. This exhibit is definitely a science. It could also be considered an art form to some, but I definitely think its more of a science. It’s a science because its displaying the body in ways that only scientist and professionals really see it. It is also art because it shows the body at different angles and forms. I really don’t know what to make of it. Some issues that might come about are, “where do all these bodies come from?” and “is this ok?” I don’t know where they get the bodies from, but I think its great that there were bodies donated for this research because this can really help with exploring the body and find cures and what not. From what I understand these bodies are coming from Asia, that’s a little sketchy to me but if there being donated than I guess its all goo. Is it ok?, I don’t know about all of that but its alright, granted these people are dead and I feel like they deserve the respect of a proper burial but if they have no one left and they donated their body than I think its ok. I’m so jealous of Brittany and Alicia for being able to go I really wish I could of gone. I agree and disagree with Matt I feel like these people deserve a little respect but I don’t think its ghoulish. These people donated themselves and this is an amazing educational experience.
ReplyDeleteI have opposing views on this topic of the exhibit Our Body: The Universe Within. Half of me is very interested in learning and seeing the human body in actuality. This year I took anatomy in my high school where we dissected a cat and sheep heart and goat brain. I couldn’t get over how intricate the parts of the body are (even in animals). However, I’m not quite sure how I feel about seeing real humans. I feel like all that would be running through my head is “Maybe I know him/her… and now look at him..” and that kind of freaks me out a little, while still intriguing me in the other sense. I agree with Nicholas Leto when he says that if a person gives himself up for scientific research, more power to him; but no one should be given to the research without complete consent. Even though I may not be able to go, museums like this will further our knowledge about how our bodies really look and feel. I think that visiting the museum with class, like Alicia did, is a really good aspect of the museum. It puts us as students up and close to the actual things we are studying instead of reading about it in a book. I still don’t know the intricacies of how we get the bodies, where they come from, etc, but if they are donated to help scientific research with their consent, I think there is nothing wrong with the museum.
ReplyDeleteThis exhibit is way more than an art and way more than a science. To suggest that it is just one of the two categories doesn’t honor all its different complexities. It’s in a category all its own. It’s imaginative, innovative, and creative; it’s just brilliant. I have not had the opportunity to view this exhibit but I have heard from word of mouth that it’s an eye opening, life changing experience. I briefly studied anatomy in high school and the subject never captivated me. Just witnessing the ways that science and art has been meshed together makes me very enthusiastic about seeing this exhibit. Forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht hit the nail on the head when he described the importance Our Body: The Universe Within as “the complexity and the way in which all the things function and the relationship of the organ systems, ect”. As disturbing as the exhibit may seem to be, it is just as interesting.
ReplyDeleteLike Jordan i visted a musseum in miami that featured this exhibit. It was amazing. The detail in which the bodies were disected opened my eyes to how complex and interesting the human body really is. I agree with carly in that this exhibit is more than just art or science. it truly is in a category of its own. It captivates anyone regardless of if they are interested in the human body or not. I dont see how it coud offend anyone unless it is against their religious preference to leave someones body untouched. other than that this exhibit aims to advance our knowledge in the feild of anatomy
ReplyDeleteI am not going to lie; these exhibits kind of freak me out. I get grossed out very easily. I mean I get nauseas from seeing my own blood. I don’t think I would ever go to an exhibit like this just to go. I would go if it was a part of one of my classes though. My high schools anatomy class visited one of these exhibits last year, but I did not take anatomy. The baby fetuses really upset me. I know they were not harmed for this, but something about it seems wrong to me. The whole exhibit seems a little wrong to me. I can see why people are interested in seeing bodies, but it’s just not for me. I see these exhibits as both science and art. They are scientific because they show human bodies and all they are made of such as, nerves and organs. Like Jordan said, these exhibits can also be seen as art because I believe human bodies are art. We are all sculpted differently. Art can also be interpreted differently and people have their own opinions on art. This is the same with bodies. I find these exhibits a little disturbing and wrong, but I can understand why people find them intriguing. Some people think these exhibits are very informational and others think that we can just learn about bodies through a book. I do agree that these exhibits are informational especially for people who are going into a medical field, but I would rather learn about the human body through pictures in a book. That’s just my opinion though. I agree with Meaghan when she stated that these exhibits are not an ethics issue. These people did donate their bodies to science, so I don’t see a problem in having these exhibits. If you are like me and do not have any interest in seeing one of these exhibits or just think it is unethical then don’t go to see one of these exhibits.
ReplyDeleteThey had this exhibit where I live in Tampa at MOSI, the Museum Of Science and Industry. Unfortunately, I was not able to go, but I had many friends who did go and they all said it was "crazy" as in cool. so yeah, i wish i couldve gone but im pretty sure they will have it here again and i'll definately go. Is this art or science? I would venture to say, like many other people that it is a combination of both. Obviously, it is science because the bodies are used for scientific purposes. I think it is art because the artist, or sculptor is free to form the bodies in any way that he wants to, and he can express himself through his art. Personally, I think the whole thing looks really cool. Now if in fact, the bodies are taken unwillingly, then there is definatey and ethics issue and i feel that it should be adressed.
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ReplyDeleteI am very jealous of Frank and Jordan for going to the exhibit. I really wish would have when it came to the Broward Center for Performing Arts. I agree with Stephanie that it is a brilliant exhibit that not many people get to observe. It really is a great opportunity. I disagree with Matt. I believe he is misunderstanding the purpose of the exhibit. It should not have a negative effect on anyone; it should be enlightening and informative. Its intention is not to degrade the bodies.
The exhibit, Our Body, in the Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science I think would be very interesting to go see. I took Anatomy and Physiology my senior year of High School, and though we dissected a cat, it would be so nice to see an actual human body, and see the various systems of the body on display. I spent an entire year learning information about them but seeing the actual systems for real is completely different than seeing pictures and seeing what the equivalent is in a cat. I don’t see this as complete art or complete science. I think that it is a mixture of both. I agree with Jordan that the body is in a way a form of art, and it is science. The way the body works is an art in its ’own sense, for all the systems to work together as seamlessly as it does is art. Art has thought and contemplation put into the assembly of the piece of work. Which I believe we had a maker who put effort and thought into our bodies. Then on the other hand the physiology part of anatomy is the how and why the body functions as it does, which is where the science part comes in. The exhibit was created to be informative. And science is learning new things. Though this exhibit is controversial like Alicia said about the private parts, I think that if you go see this exhibit you should do so with the knowledge of what you are about to see. I agree with Meagnan with the bodies that are used. People give their bodies’ everyday for science. How is checking the little box for organ donating any different then this, then?
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the Bodies exhibit when I went. I attended a Bodies exhibit in Atlanta and was impressed with its presentation. The bodies were displayed in a tasteful manner that was both informative and intriguing. The exhibit was split up into different rooms where the different body systems were singled out and described while being presented in front of you. The most interesting room was the optional Fetal room. There was a point in the “tour” that you could choose one of two paths. One would lead you around this room that showed actual unborn children in different stages in their development, the other would lead you straight through it. I don’t think it should be censored. I think that it is a realistic look at the human body. Yes, I think it’s a little shocking, and a little uneasy to handle, but that’s just because its new and people don’t know what to do with it. If before these people died they willingly gave permission to whatever institution to use their body for scientific use then I have no problem. If people really have a problem with it they can just not go. If enough people are interested in it then it can stay in business, if they don’t then it will fall, but I think that censoring it completely would be a deprivation of our freedoms as citizens. If seeing bodies of dead Asian men and women makes you happy then the right for you to see that spectacle will have been supported under one of the most important documents in world history, which like me supports my and others pursuit of happiness.
ReplyDeleteComing from Orlando, where the “Bodies” Exhibit was also being presented, I used to always see billboards advertising it as I drove around town. Though I was intrigued, I never was able to attend. I still am interested in going, to be able to see a legitimate human body’s organ systems perfectly intact sounds like a once in a lifetime chance. But as I think about it, I am not sure if I could stomach seeing what is on display, knowing that those people were once living members of society. Personally, I’m most fascinated by where the bodies come from. After reading other posts, I was informed that most are unclaimed bodies of Asian decent. But I still wonder, why Asian? …Furthermore in agreement with Matt, there is an underlying issue, but as Stephanie argued, though these bodies deserve respect, through the exposition of these bodies, our society is becoming further educated. After doing a little research of my own I found that “Some critics have called it downright inappropriate to slice up human bodies and parade them in various poses for public view. Supporters argue, however, that the unique presentation of the human form offered by the exhibits is a valuable educational experience.” There is no doubt that this is based on scientific research, but looking deeper I believe science and art are both incorporated into these museum exhibits because of the different ways the bodies are positioned. Like Megan and Alicia said, this would be a very appropriate field trip for an anatomy class, hands on experiences are always appreciated.
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