Bodies on Display: Plastination and Our Fascination with Death

Dr. Gunther von Hagens is an anatomist. In 1977 he invented a process called plastination to preserve the deceased bodies of living creatures. In the plastination process, bodily fluids and fat are replaced with reactive polymers. Bodies preserved by plastination are both odorless and dry.

Body Worlds, and other shows like it, are touring exhibits of humans and a few other animals that have been preserved via plastination. A variety of conditions are exhibited, such as pregnancy, cancer, smoker's lung, coal miner's lung, and many others.

While the exhibit is labeled an anatomical exhibit, it is hard to view it as solely anatomical. Many of the bodies displayed are in dramatic action positions, such as ice skating, lassoing, and dancing. The graceful interaction of the couple ice skating was one of the most striking exhibits to me. I found myself wondering who these people were, what happened to them, and why they decided to share their bodies with the exhibit.

An enlarged copy of the donor form is on display in the exhibit as well. It shows the questionnaire and application that donors must fill out to have their bodies accepted for plastination and display. There are a few lines about anonymity; the display is to be anatomical, not personal. Therefore information about the individuals and the way they died won't be discussed.

As I mentioned before, I felt curiously drawn to who these people were and what had happened to them. I thought back to the one display that I had found offensive: Suicide by Fat. The person's age and general reason of death was given. I believe this was to underscore the fact that he was fairly young to have the problems that he did, and that the cause for his problems was obesity. The obesity didn't offend me; it was the title of the exhibit. I don't think people who suffer from obesity think that they are committing suicide by their body weight, just as smokers don't look at smoking as committing suicide. I just found myself feeling bad for the person who donated his body to the program, then having his weight issue turned into a lecture about the evils of obesity.

I do think that the display could have highlighted the effects of the weight on his system, as it did, but not with the compare and contrast to the 120 pound body displayed next to him. I suppose I just wish that a little more tact were used in that particular case.

There was also a section on fetal development and pregnancy; it had embryos, fetuses, and a pregnant woman. The embryos and fetuses were not abortions, so pro-lifers shouldn't have an issue with this part of the exhibit. As a parent though, it was sad to see all the potential babies that didn't make it.

At other parts in the exhibit there were a few children on display as well. While fascinating to see how small and delicate these bodies were, it made me morbidly aware of the uncertainty of my length of time in this life. If these small children were cut down at such a tender age, there is no guarantee that I have a long life ahead of me either.

Speaking of children, I was surprised to see how many kids were looking at the display. I didn't see any of them acting queasy or upset; on the contrary they were very curious and inquisitive.

"I'll bet it really helps surgeons to see these," I heard one young boy tell his mom. The fact that the exhibit was appealing to him for reasons other than the gross and weird factors was great.

Although these types of exhibits may be offensive to some and nauseating to yet others, they continue to tour the world and draw crowds wherever they stop. I like to think it's because the beauty of the human form and the consciousness of our mortality combine to make it a bittersweet exhibition of the human condition.