The Franklin Institute science museum in Philadelphia will once again host the controversial exhibit “Body Worlds” starting next month, writes Victor Fiorillo for Philadelphia Magazine.
This series of traveling exhibits displays specimens of human bodies and various parts of human bodies that have been preserved by German scientist Gunther von Hagens. He uses a process called Plastination, which he developed in the 1970s, to preserve once-living bodies. The procedure involves replacing the water and fat in deceased bodies with specific plastics and various other materials.
Using this technique, he can pose the bodies as skateboarding or doing wheelies on a bike. He can also showcase a cross-section of a body or a lung to showcase the destructive effects of smoking.
Previous iterations of the exhibit have been at the center of controversy, sometimes due to the sourcing of the bodies — as some reportedly were from executed Chinese prisoners — or the general idea of displaying human remains.
Each time the exhibit arrives at the Franklin Institute, the controversy surrounding it has only served to heighten interest, making tickets for the show difficult to secure.
The latest version, titled ‘Body Worlds: VITAL,’ is set to open in Philadelphia on Saturday, February 15.
Read more about the “Body Worlds” exhibit and the controversy surrounding it in Philadelphia Magazine.
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