Up close and completely exposed, the human body is far more fascinating and unsettling than anything even the most graphic science textbook can portray. Like Joan Rivers, the exhibits that comprise The Franklin Institute's "Body Worlds" are a disturbing combination of body parts and plastic.
German anatomist Dr. Gunther von Hagens used a technique called plastination to create Body Worlds as a testament to the beautiful intricacy of the human body's design. The exhibit begins with a fairly straightforward presentation of the human body beneath the skin. The bodies, donated posthumously for science, are shown in an array of positions, demonstrating the amazing versatility of its structure.
The positioning of the bodies is not particularly artful, but that's the intention -- to show off the human body as an elaborate work of art in and of itself. Steve Snyder, Vice President of Exhibitions for the Franklin Institute, explains, "It's powerful, because it's about you." As the exhibit progresses, the body is deconstructed into its parts. Enclosed in glass cases, each body part is given its own thorough tribute. Seeing the complexities of the capillary system, the brain, and the heart is engrossing. However, parts of the body that have been preserved and dissected can be disgusting. Equally disgusting are the apparent effects of the mistreatment of these parts, manifested in blackened smokers' lungs and cirrhosis-stricken livers.
The technique used by Dr. von Hagens is little more than an improvement over previous methods of preservation, and it's not this technique that has caused "Body Worlds" to sell out in cities throughout the world. But it's drawn criticism and sparked ethical debates wherever the exhibition has shown, including Brussels, London, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Vancouver. Ultimately, advisory panels consisting of bioethicists, theologians and doctors in each city decided that the exhibit respects the human body rather than maligns it. Part of the reason for bringing "Body Worlds" to Philadelphia, Snyder explains, is that in previewing the exhibit in other cities, members of the Institute were "impressed by the kinds of conversations" they heard, and "what they were learning" from the exhibit.
The Franklin Institute is home to various interactive science displays, but "Body Worlds" stands out as the most compelling. Whether you're looking at the path of the digestive tract or someone's liver post-college, "Body Worlds" will definitely teach you more about the body than your Saturday night anatomy lesson.
