Sacred Bodies

Bodies

Last week, the famed Premier Exhibitions show "BODIES" opened in Paris under the title "CORPS OUVERT" (OPEN BODIES). After having received rave reviews in the United States and Canada, the show has, over the past three years, circulated across the world receiving vast amounts of attention and sparking some serious controversy. The exhibit showcases real human bodies stripped off skin so their organs, nervous systems, and muscles are fully viewable. The bodies are preserved by a special "polymer preservation" process so they are durable, odorless, and intact. Much of the public response to the show across the globe has been positive, citing the remarkable scientific and educational power of the bodies. However, there have also been several waves of criticism who argue that the show not only dehumanizes the human body in a grotesque way but also takes advantage of a collection of bodies whose sacredness is no longer honored. For it has recently been found that most of the bodies used in the exhibit are the bodies of Chinese prisoners, executed and discarded by the Chinese government.

The act of skinning these humans without their families' consent and arranging them in poses (sitting, walking, jogging) like puppets has left many people cold towards this exhibit. Upon hearing this show had come to Paris, I was eager to find out what the public reaction here would be like. I spoke with an Israeli friend of mine who had seen the show; he recommended it profusely, said it was incredible, remarkable, that there was nothing like it, and made no mention of the identities of the subjects and what that meant. A Belgian friend of mine had quite the opposite reaction; the mere suggestion that we go view the show had him appalled and ranting about the disgusting disregard for human rights the exposition embodied. Yet in every subway, another poster hung, every day, another sold out show.

The exhibit will run until May, after which who knows where it's next stop will be. One thing is certain: the existence of this exposition raises dozens of questions about human rights, the sacredness of the human body, and the limits of art. And what does it mean that as the show travels across the world the public response changes with every new city it visits? The show received remarkable reviews in North America. Here in Paris, les droits de l'homme are always on people's minds and though Sarkozy recently inked a deal between French Airbus and China, linking the two countries in a prosperous contract, the inhumanity of the Chinese government is talked about more than ever these days. What will the French think of "BODIES"? What will the Parisians think of it? What do I think of it?

I have yet to see the exhibit (tickets are at high demand) but I can honestly say that the thought of these propped up bodies, once sacred now manipulated for profit, skinned and positioned, muscles bulging and fat, seems cruel and unusual... and yet thoroughly fascinating. It's like driving by an auto accident on the highway, and slowing down to see the wreckage. It's human nature. Whatever the final score may be on the question of this exhibit's humanity, the bottom line is people will pay to see it, people will enjoy it, and though the exposed nature of these discarded bodies torn open for all the world to see is as unsettling as it is provocative, there is a deep fascination that cannot be suppressed. And this fascination is only human.

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