Discussion Your thoughts on the Body Worlds exhibition.

[Forever Sleep]

For those unaware, Body Worlds is an exhibition of corpses effectively. That have been painstakingly dissected/ sliced up/ posed and preserved/ set in a polymer. Their 'inventor' is called: Gunther von Hagens and, he describes them as 'plastinates'.

For his exhibition at least, all of the people who donated their bodies were fully aware of how they may be used so- the process was consensual. There have been copycat exhibitions where consent wasn't obtained. Supposedly, a Chinese competitor obtained some corpses from executed prisoners for example. Plus, you can't exactly ask an animal permission either.

A friend of mine saw the exhibition and said it was really fascinating. The fact that the process is consensual also seems to make it morally sound. Surely- it's up to us what happens to our bodies following death.

Somehow, knowing and believing that, something still doesn't quite sit right with me though. I suppose it's the religious angst about desecrating a corpse. It somehow seems disrespectful although, I imagine for the people who volunteer, they probably view it as being immortalised as art. I suppose also that it's done for profit effectively. Isn't it enough that our lives are spent generating money for capitalism? To think the raw material of our bodies can be made to serve too is unpleasant to me.

It's one of those things where I know logically speaking, it's ok but it still feels a bit disconcerting somehow. What are your opinions? Has anyone seen it?

 

[bankai]

Seems morbid to me personally. But since consent was given, it's fine I suppose at least from an ethical standpoint.

Doesn't seem like a place you'd want to take your kids to for an excursion though, unlike the Dinosaur Museum.


I just hope this is not some sort of publicity stunt or just some sort of attention or money grabbing stunt. There was some banana on a pedestal or something. It was an art exhibit. And,it's worth a lot of money.Silly stuff.

Yes, a piece of art consisting of a banana duct-taped to a wall, created by Maurizio Cattelan, was sold at auction for $6.2 million. The buyer was Justin Sun, a cryptocurrency founder. After the purchase, Sun announced that he would eat the banana, fulfilling a "grand gesture".

The artwork, titled "Comedian," was part of an exhibition at Art Basel in Miami Beach. A vendor who sold the banana to the artist for 25 cents later saw it sold at auction for the much higher price.

 

[Pluto]

 

[Ch4in3dcr0w]

I understand where the feeling of it being weird comes from, the body is something sacred even without being religious. I personally dont think of corpses as something sacred its up to the person to decide what is going to be done with their corpses. About the capitalism and making money off the dead there is a whole business around it already and its called coffins and cremation + a spot in the graveyard the costs for all this things are extremly high. U die and even then your corpses are used to make money so i wouldnt look at it from a capitalistic view everything including death is already money based. I personally think from a quick look that its done in a good fashion and i think its done respectfully to the dead so i dont see a problem with it.

 

[Forever Sleep]

Seems morbid to me personally. But since consent was given, it's fine I suppose at least from an ethical standpoint.

Doesn't seem like a place you'd want to take your kids to for an excursion though, unlike the Dinosaur Museum.


I just hope this is not some sort of publicity stunt or just some sort of attention or money grabbing stunt. There was some banana on a pedestal or something. It was an art exhibit. And,it's worth a lot of money.Silly stuff.

Yes, a piece of art consisting of a banana duct-taped to a wall, created by Maurizio Cattelan, was sold at auction for $6.2 million. The buyer was Justin Sun, a cryptocurrency founder. After the purchase, Sun announced that he would eat the banana, fulfilling a "grand gesture".

The artwork, titled "Comedian," was part of an exhibition at Art Basel in Miami Beach. A vendor who sold the banana to the artist for 25 cents later saw it sold at auction for the much higher price.

I also agree with the lunacy of that art piece. I'm creative myself, so a lot of artworks that appear to take the piss annoy me. That said, maybe that's the point. To reveal the frightening lunacy of what the rich and powerful will buy, sell and make money from.

It's by no means unique either. Marcel Duchamp signed a urinal back in 1917, titled the piece 'Fountain' and put it on display. He called his 'sculptures' his 'Readymades'. So, the latest banana stunt is just another one in a long line of controversial works.

I kind of love them and hate them at the same time. I love them because they demonstrate how f*cked up this world is. How those with money and power can bestow value and wealth on someone who exhibits no talent or worth. That's not to say the Artist behind it has no talent or worth but I imagine taping a banana to a wall doesn't exhibit it to the fullest! It feels like making a mockery of art. It feels like people who then buy it deserve to be laughed at but then, the last laugh is on them because they still profit from it! I do believe Art should reflect life so- in that way, I suppose it does. It shows it to be such a f*cked up farce.

Of course, I hate it because it does feel like it makes a mockery of art. It degrades people's respect for artists and it neglects people who work very hard to hone traditional skills. It still has a place for me but, I admire skilled artists rather than pretentious ones who milk the system.

I actually think Body Worlds came from a genuine passion of its creator to exhibit all the intricacies and wonders of biological anatomy. Plus, there's a health aspect too- exhibiting what various diseases do to the body. I actually think the man behind it is genuine- even intending to become a 'plastinate' himself one day. I'm sure he does make money but I think there is a genuine passion there to do what he does. That all said, I still personally find it unnerving.

I understand where the feeling of it being weird comes from, the body is something sacred even without being religious. I personally dont think of corpses as something sacred its up to the person to decide what is going to be done with their corpses. About the capitalism and making money off the dead there is a whole business around it already and its called coffins and cremation + a spot in the graveyard the costs for all this things are extremly high. U die and even then your corpses are used to make money so i wouldnt look at it from a capitalistic view everything including death is already money based. I personally think from a quick look that its done in a good fashion and i think its done respectfully to the dead so i dont see a problem with it.

That's so so true! The whole death industry must be huge. Plus, I think there is a certain amount of expectation people feel to give someone a good send off. Like buying them a posh coffin exhibits how well they thought of and treated them in life when that's far from the truth sometimes. True- it's all powered by commercialism.

I agree that there actually isn't anything morally wrong with it- seeing as it's consensual. It still just doesn't quite sit right with me though. Not that I have anything against those who wish to contribute to it with their own corpse or, visit it.

I wonder if suicides ever donate. I could be exhibited as a smurf if I go out via SN.

 

[bankai]

I wonder if suicides ever donate. I could be exhibited as a smurf if I go out via SN.

Or a member of the blue man group

 

[Forever Sleep]

Or a member of the blue man group

I guess my lack of musical talent wouldn't matter as a corpse...