Not for the faint of heart, could be offensive

[ArenaBoy]

It's quite disconcerting at first but then you get used to it.

I actually had a chance to go but I couldn't that day.

[lupo pazzesco]

The sex positions are over the top but the exhibits themselves are in a way, morbidly fascinating. Granted some of the posing is different and can weird some people out, but I love the fact that it's so intricate and the details from a scientific standpoint make me giddy with happiness. but then, I'm just a dork that way, who spends as much time as she can gluing human skeletal fragments together, and gets excited when I find a bone frag that looks like a goldfish cracker... (even if said fragment was evidence of the practice of bone tubing in a pre-Classical Mayan population that the samples came from. )

[lordlundar]

But really why can't they just make a nice plastic model/doll/mannequin type thing instead.....

Because modern science has yet to be able to replicate the human body to that precise of level. The Idea behind Body Works is to show EXACTLY how the human body functions. Man made drawings, mannequins and such is simply insufficient.

[the_std]

Haven't they been using dead bodies as teaching tools for hundreds of years now? If you want to learn about something, go to the source! We do it with dead animals all the time.

[draggar]

I see your point but I guess my theory is, if you find it offensive or distasteful, don't go see it.

I fully agree. They have every right to make and show this production, al the bodies are donated with the person's consent. People who are offended have every right to not go see it.

I would have loved to see it when they were here but couldn't due to time and money.

[dalesys]

I saw it in Salt Lake (non sex version).

Cool

All skin is removed, so it'd be extremely difficult to identify anyone.

My daughter thought about taking her classes... and then realized the horror of herding 180 12-14 kids making snarky comments

... and getting parental consent (in Utah?)

[Misty]

It's not even disrespecting the dead, since you need to actually sign your body over to the project specifically. That's right, the bodies on display were bequeathed to the show.

Actually, there was some controversy over the BodyWorks exhibit I saw in San Francisco 5 years ago. The exhibit came from China and apparently they used bodies taken from Chinese prisons (no, they didn't kill inmates for the exhibit, just donated the bodies after they died). Apparently consent was not an issue because authorities didn't bother to ask permission.

[telecom_goddess]

Actually, there was some controversy over the BodyWorks exhibit I saw in San Francisco 5 years ago. The exhibit came from China and apparently they used bodies taken from Chinese prisons (no, they didn't kill inmates for the exhibit, just donated the bodies after they died). Apparently consent was not an issue because authorities didn't bother to ask permission.

LOL I can just imagine them killing inmates for this thing.....ok your sentence is you DIE and get donated to a travelling museum like group and be on display!!!

I'm sure they have controversy a lot of the time.....they don't seem like the types to tread lightly on people's feelings. I kind of admire that, actually. They are not afraid to offend anyone and anyone who is can go screw themselves (and that would include me lol). It's nice to see someone taking risks....and boy they really jumped into the fray with this one.

[tacohuman]

Actually, there was some controversy over the BodyWorks exhibit I saw in San Francisco 5 years ago. The exhibit came from China and apparently they used bodies taken from Chinese prisons (no, they didn't kill inmates for the exhibit, just donated the bodies after they died). Apparently consent was not an issue because authorities didn't bother to ask permission.

bodyworks and bodyworlds are two different shows put on by two different organizations. it's true, there was controversy with the bodyworks showing, but that's not the case with bodyworlds, which is what this article is regarding.

i saw bodyworlds in dallas, and it was amazing.

[Cat]

I saw Bodyworks in Hartford last year...it was AWESOME.....I got to hold a brain

[sms001]

Took my wife to it when it was in Chicago, for Valentines Day

It is REALLY vastly different from any model or drawing or photo. Some of the sets depicting the vascular system were almost other-worldly. And the groups with prostheses were super cool.

That said, I totally understand why some would be put off by such a thing. It's got a definite ick factor.