Museum Exhibition Review from October 2019
Choosing an Exhibition
I originally wanted to see Ancient Nubia Now, an exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. It is a conventional art exhibition of ancient objects from the Nile Valley. On the way to Boston with my father, BODY WORLDS came into the conversation. I’m not particularly interested in anatomy and science but felt BODY WORLDS would be more challenging than a traditional art exhibition. It would provide more source material to write about. That’s really why I decided to go to BODY WORLDS at the Museum of Science Boston.
The History of BODY WORLDS
BODY WORLDS & The Cycle of Life is one of many exhibits prepared by the BODY WORLDS team. The team is led by Dr. Angelina Whalley and Dr. Gunther Von Hagens. Since 1995, they’ve had exhibitions on display all across the world that have been attended by millions.¹ They showcase real human bodies and organs that have been preserved. The method used for preserving the bodies was invented by Dr. Von Hagens and essentially turns all parts of the human body into plastic objects called plastinates. The process normally takes one year for an entire body.² The final plastinates end up as separate body parts such as a lower leg or a heart or as full bodies often positioned in dramatic poses.
The Nature and Content of BODY WORLDS & The Cycle of Life
The Cycle of Life, the specific BODY WORLDS exhibition I visited, was focused on how the human body ages.³The exhibit brought the viewers through the timeline of human life, beginning with embryos and ending with images of humans over one hundred years old. It introduced different health issues and visually revealed how disease and poor health impact the human body.⁴
The plastinates are the stars of the show and are supplemented with a variety of supporting exhibit materials, mainly videos, large wall panels with additional text and images, and interactive media. Each was placed in a thematic zone such as joints and movement. One example was a video projector with a connected sensor that allowed you to see in real time how your bones and muscles move as you walk.
Visitors don’t need to have a large amount of background knowledge to be able to understand the exhibition. BODY WORLDS creates traveling exhibitions that have taken place across the world. Viewers do not need to have a specific cultural background or speak a specific language to understand the exhibit. All demographics can enjoy the exhibition and gain a deeper understanding of how the body works.
The Design of the Exhibition Space
The actual design of the space was dramatic and theatrical. The floor, ceiling, and walls were all black. The only lighting was placed directly on the exhibition contents. This allowed for an other-worldly immersion into the exhibit and to the story it was telling. The objects were placed in clearly defined sections that didn’t leave room for confusion. The sections flowed from early life to the skeleton to the muscles to body systems, such as the nervous or vascular, to the organs. It was as if the viewer could watch a body being built.
The design of the space didn’t make the potentially creepy and disturbing content feel overwhelming. I was concerned that I was going to experience a sense of impending doom based on what I had read before visiting the exhibition. That didn’t happen at all. I was fully engaged in the exhibit.
My Experience
As someone who isn’t necessarily science oriented, I found myself enjoying the exhibition a lot more than expected. The museum had specific, scheduled times for entering the exhibition so it wasn’t over-crowded. This was really helpful for people who feel overwhelmed in confined areas with large crowds. It was nice to see that this had been taken into consideration when planning the exhibition.
One of my favorite objects in the exhibition showed all the blood vessels in a human face. It was interesting to see where the blood vessels were larger or denser. I could relate the spacing and location of the vessels in the plastinate to my face. The object’s title was Blushing. It seemed fitting.
I found a plastinate of the nervous system very interesting. The nervous system was devoid of any other body parts, but you could clearly see the outline of the body it once belonged to. It showed the largest nerves in a human body. It was interesting to see where the largest nerves were consolidated. It was coupled with a label that discussed in depth the nervous system and how it functions in the human body.
The Optional Section
At the very beginning of the exhibition, there was a side room. It was clearly marked with a sign that said the viewer could “enter or bypass” the section. It was a room that
showed the beginning of life. The room contained many plastinated embryos and fetuses. The fetuses and embryos were reportedly from miscarriages⁵, but I was not able to find any information on the BODY WORLDS website with an explicit clarification about how the fetuses and embryos were obtained.⁶ BODY WORLDS exhibits displaying embryos and fetuses have brought controversies in the past. In March of 2005, two women stole a thirteen week old fetus from one exhibition in Los Angeles.⁷ There was no information available about their motive.
The Bodies
The actual bodies in the exhibit have been a topic of debate in the past.⁸ ⁹ Currently all the bodies from The Cycle of Life, come from a donor program,¹⁰“from people who have donated their bodies for Plastination,” according to the Museum of Science Boston website. This is in contrast to other sources which say the bodies may have come from somewhere more sinister. China is one supposed source of bodies.¹¹ The premise was that some of the bodies came from Chinese prisoners executed by the government rather than from willing donors. This idea was backed up by the fact that Dr. Von Hagens was forced to return corpses to China as he supposedly did not know that seven of the bodies had head injuries.¹² Other rival exhibits, not BODY WORLDS, have been forthcoming with the fact that their bodies were derived from unclaimed Chinese cadavers, a category that includes executed prisoners.¹³
Who Should Go To BODY WORLDS?
One of the great things about BODY WORLDS & The Cycle of Life is the ease of viewing. As much as anatomical drawings are great, they don’t really compare to standing in front of a plastinated human body in a pose that’s reminiscent of a ballerina. I noticed a wide range of people visiting the exhibit. There were adults and children of all ages and nationalities enjoying the exhibition at the same time. There was even a baby in a stroller. I honestly think it’s a fitting exhibit for every age demographic. I even believe squeamish people can overcome their fears and visit BODY WORLDS & The Cycle of Life as the content is very scientific and not graphic at all. It’s educational, not sensational.
Bibliography
1 “The Philosophy behind BODY WORLDS: About the Mission, Concept & Effects.” BODY WORLDS, https:// bodyworlds.com/about/philosophy/.
2 “The Plastination Technique – Invented by Dr. Gunther Von Hagens!” Körperwelten, https://bodyworlds.com/ plastination/plastination-technique/.
3 “BODY WORLDS & The Cycle of Life @Museum of Science, Boston!” BODY WORLDS, https:// bodyworlds.com/city/boston/.
4 “BODY WORLDS & The Cycle of Life.” Museum of Science, Boston, https://www.mos.org/exhibits/body-worlds.
5 Brahm, Josh. “Incredible Display With the Bodies of Miscarried Babies Reveals the Humanity of Unborn Children.” LifeNews.com, Life News, 22 May 2015, https://www.lifenews.com/2015/05/22/incredible-display-with- the-bodies-of-miscarried-babies-reveals-the-humanity-of-unborn-children/.
6 “FAQs about BODY WORLDS - All You Need to Know for Your Visit!” BODY WORLDS, https:// bodyworlds.com/about/faq/.
7 Becerra, Hector. “2 Women Steal Fetus From Exhibit.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2005, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-mar-30-me-bodyworlds30-story.html.
8 Martinez, Britta. “The Embryo Project Encyclopedia.” Body Worlds, The Embryo Project Encyclopedia, 27 Nov. 2012, https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/body-worlds.
9 Ulaby, Neda. “Origins of Exhibited Cadavers Questioned.” NPR, NPR, 11 Aug. 2006, https://www.npr.org/ templates/story/story.php?storyId=5637687.
10 “FAQs about BODY WORLDS - All You Need to Know for Your Visit!” BODY WORLDS, https:// bodyworlds.com/about/faq/.
11 Barboza, David. “China Turns Out Mummified Bodies for Displays.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 Aug. 2006, https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/08/business/worldbusiness/08bodies.html.
12 Harding, Luke. “Von Hagens Forced to Return Corpses to China.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 23 Jan. 2004, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/jan/23/arts.china.
13 Ulaby, Neda. “Origins of Exhibited Cadavers Questioned.” NPR, NPR, 11 Aug. 2006, https://www.npr.org/ templates/story/story.php?storyId=5637687.
This was originally written for a museum studies course in the Fall of 2019 by Emily Moore