The Body

We recently discussed the human body and our obsession with death, sexuality and dissection. The creation of life has also come with the questions and uncertainty of death. People have put other species on exhibit for thousands of years. One specific example is the spectacle of live action and death with the Gladiators as they fought wild beasts as well as one another. Today one can enter any museum to see a species on display in form of bones. Overall humans enjoy observing life, but have more of a fascination with death because although frightening, it captures our interest.

The Bodies Exhibit is a perfect example of how enraptured we are with the human body. In the exhibit, human bodies are dissected and skinned to reveal muscles, organs and blood. The controversial showcasing of the human bodies has contributed to the exhibit’s wide range of publicity. Due to the level of popularity, the actual reality of the concept has not seemed to affect the visitors. Although the bodies have been changed to appear more plastic than human there is still the notion that these figures once held life and are now reduced to the same level as a lifeless painting.

The objectification of the human body has reached its highest point as people have flocked to the exhibit worldwide to observe the bones and brains they themselves also hold. It appears as though visitors enter the exhibit not only to observe the harmful effects of cigarettes and alcohol on the body but also out of self-obsessed fascination. This relates to the museum displaying the bodies as objects rather than humans, and in turn, according to the level of popularity and the statistics, the idea that most people do not seem repulsed but fascinated by this new perspective of life.

Oddly enough many people who visited the Bodies Exhibit stated they would like to donate their bodies to the exhibit one day. This reflects the realization of this form of objectification of the body and on a different level, the self-obsessed fascination in the way that one would want their body to be preserved for eternity.

We are an interesting species, one which is not repulsed, but delighted by violence and death. It all falls under the sphere of fascination. I’m just curious to see how far we will go- as of now it is in our media, our education, our lives. Maybe Gladiators will come back one day after all.