Continued Controversy About Gunter von Hagen's Body Worlds at the Leonardo

Mom de Guerre posted the following response to the Institute of Plastination's oversensitivity to any criticism.

It does a body good (pun intended) to read that there is at least one parent out there, armed for battle (again, intended) against such questionable practices. Indeed some of the bodies are positioned in some questionable poses. Others have criticized him for his sexuality, as well.

Mom de Guerre said...
"Boy, they ARE worried about the criticism aren't they? Its much more complex than the Institute would like you to understand. For instance, unclaimed bodies most often are NOT used for plastination OR for medical study.

"This is because most states are civilized enough to have a waiting period for unclaimed bodies so that families can be found. In this time they deteriorate and become unusable specimens for study. Especially true with plastination. Bodies need to be really freshly dead for this process. [LMYEars adds: Which is why some people are reluctant to be organ donors - that rush to freshness, and the cold clinical mindset that informs their education and practice. For a great piece on this mindset, read Annihilating Terry Sciavo, Commentary, June 2006.]

"There IS a big difference between legitimate medical study and these grotesque displays, however. Ethical oversight. See also Lucia Tanassi's (Vanderbilt Univ) professional investigation as an ethicist. You hit the nail right on the head, Lend Me Your Ears, and the post by the Institute referenced the problem as well. They admit openly that there are no regulations, so why should they be concerned - ?

"They don't need to comply with the kinds of standards for, say, an anatomy lab. They don't care and they don't have to. They found a VERY lucrative loophole. [That struck me, too. If this is all about education and informing the public, why charge so much? We can go to the U. of Utah's Museum of Art and see some 70 paintings from Van Gogh to Matisse for FREE.]

"And Von Hagens is NOT off the hook from an 'unclaimed' bodies perspective. He used 'unclaimed' Chinese bodies to open this whole market and realize his grotesque vision. He's a vampire and a ghoul." [Today, I thought he was very much like a Doctor Frankenstein, only new and revised, more urbane - we can't give you eternal life, but by placing you on display in this lulling macabre way, you can achieve a reasonable likeness of immortality - all in the name of science! Why am I not surprised that China is so involved in this!]

Thank you, Mom de Guerre!
September 9, 2008 10:08 AM