On the way back from a nice walk this afternoon, I learned the truth about the BODIES…The Exhibition. At the South Street Seaport, near where we live.
Some background to this. When I was a student I worked at the Royal Academy in London, during the holidays. In the basement there is a sculpture of a crucifiction, with one unusual aspect – its real. The artist, Stubbs, bought an executed prisoner’s corpse, flayed him, nailed him to a cross and took a plaster cast, in order to do anatomical studies. Seeing this a night in the darkened basement of a near deserted museum after closing time made some impact.
Now I learn that plagiarized versions of the Van Hagens Bodyworks exhibitions, such as the ‘Bodies’ exhibition use corpses that probably come from executed Chinese prisoners, possibly prisoners of conscience.
I have absolutely no problem with anatomical exhibits, however the use of an executed prisoners body in this manner is the moral equivalent of rape for entertainment.
I so hope that the spirits of the dead haunt every living moment of the morally bankrupt individuals that put this exhibition on.
If you feel the same way, why not write to Katherine Morgenstern who runs Media and Publicity for ‘Bodies” organizers Premier Exhibitions Inc, and hopefully has trouble sleeping at night.
(404) 842-2675
kmorgenstern@prxi.com