By Joyce Kryszak
Buffalo, NY –
The complexity and beauty of the human body is revealed in a pioneering - and sometimes controversial - exhibit opening Thursday at the Buffalo Museum of Science. Body Worlds and the Story of the Heart features 22 real human bodies and 200 organ specimens, all preserved with plastic. The revolutionary exhibit has attracted 27 million people from all over the world. But Buffalo is the first city in New York to host the phenomenally successful tour.
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The Egyptians believed that the body must be preserved so that the soul could live. Many centuries later, Leonardo DaVinci dissected bodies to study them for his art. But in the 21st century societies still struggle with the morality of putting deceased human beings on display.
Body Worlds has been condemned by some as immoral, unethical and irreverent. German born doctor Angelina Whalley designed the exhibit created by her husband and defends it. She said the mysteries of the human body should not be hidden to everyone except the privileged.
Dr. Whalley said that seeing the exhibit is completely voluntary, and so is the donation process. More than 11,000 people have voluntarily signed up to donate their bodies. There are about 600 already preserved and used in six Body Worlds exhibits touring around the world. Some specimens are donated to universities for study. Dr. Whalley said they are enormously respectful of the incredible gift of each anatomical treasure.
Body Worlds was the first exhibit to showcase human bodies preserved in a revolutionary scientific process called plastination. Body fluids are removed in a vacuum and replaced with polymers that keep the bodies remarkably preserved - indefinetely.
The process was invented by Dr. Whalley's husband, Gunter von Hagens. But since Hagens began publicly displaying the specimens in the mid-nineties, there have been some copy cats.
And not all of the exhibits obtain bodies ethically.
Mark Mortenson is President of the Buffalo Museum of Science. He said they were careful to bring in the original exhibit. He said Body Worlds maintains strict documentation and standards. He said the exhibit also is not "gross or gory." Still, Mortenson acknowledges that this exhibit might not be for everyone.
The uniqueness of the human body is immediately clear when you stand face to face with the beautifully posed bodies. These are not abstract, impersonal anatomy models. Specimens are positioned in active, often athletic positions, with muscles and organs fully exposed. You can see how amazingly inter-connected and essential all the parts of the body are for each movement - and for life. Dr. Whalley said that moment of realization is the entire purpose of the exhibit.
She said she hears life changing stories. One suicidal woman vowed never to try killing herself again. Stories of children pleading with their parents to quit smoking after seeing lungs blacked by disease. Whalley said these are lessons that could never be replaced by any amount of lecturing.
But why not use models instead of real bodies?
Some say that replications could show as much detail. But Dr. Whalley said there is something visceral and compelling about seeing what is actually inside our own bodies. Dr. Whalley said they hope people come away with an understanding of what is truly means to be human.
More than 200,000 people are expected to come for the experience. And that should pump life into the local economy.
The museum shares proceeds with the exhibitors, making the cost reasonable, according to museum officials. And 50 part-time temporary workers were hired for the run of the exhibit through October.
There are extended hours at the museum to accomodate the expected crowds, but people are encouraged to buy tickets in advance. And parents are advised to go to the Buffalo Museum of Science web site to decide if the exhibit is appropriate for your child. Museum officials say, remember, there are no black boxes or fuzzy circles covering things.