Adam and I were watching the news a week or two ago and we saw a story on Body Worlds 3 at Science World which I can NOT stop calling Body Works. If I were to punch myself in the face each time I called it Body Works I�d have no skeletal face to donate even if I wanted to. The name of the exhibit is called �Body Worlds, The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies�. It is as the 3 would give away on its third tour this is only the second time it has been in Canada according to one of the two books we got leaving. Body Worlds 2 was in Toronto from September 30, 2005 till February 26, 2006. Right NOW it is in Vancouver, Boston and St. Paul MN it is coming soon too Dallas, Chicago and Phoenix. In reviewing parts of the book it appears that attendance is lowest in North America although at time of printing attendance world wide is sitting at 18.561.356 visitors.
When we first saw the story Adam was on the computer looking it up within minutes, I on the other hand was completely and utterly unable to comprehend it or accept it. It was really very strange and we spent a lot of the weekend talking about how strange my initial reaction to it was because I have always as mentioned on here before been way too obsessed with serial killers, true crime novels, shows, documentaries– you name a serial murderer it is rare for me not to know SOMETHING about them. I have also always had a passion for forensic science and have had many people tell me in different ways that I missed my calling. Too bad I can�t do math or science cause I kinda needed that to go in to it the intuition is not enough. I can�t even put into words what �freaked� me out about it but I still wanted to go but didn�t but did. I think it is definitely related to having such a huge obsession with death and having a hard time separating the cryptic work that goes into the research and rebuilding of the skinless bodies.
RJ took us Saturday night, you can not take photos inside OF COURSE I was like AS IF IM NOT SNEAKING PHOTOS but I got in there and found myself pissed off at the people taking photos with their cameras and camera phones found it extremely disrespectful and found myself WAY more fascinated with the looks on the faces of the live humans and those are shots I do wish I had, my own face included. There is just no getting around that it does screw with your head, how can it not? It SEEMS impossible to me to even make an exhibit like that regardless of my lack of scientific knowledge it was the most serial yet most amazing thing I have seen in my life to date. I muttered to Adam something totally dramatic like HOLY FUCK this could become like the eighth wonder of the world or some shit. It is a bit hard to see the entire exhibit because you are packed in there like sardines. EVERY single time slot sells out and you�ve got over a 100 people being funneled through pretty much every fifteen minutes. Being that I don�t do well in cramped situations like that I did have a couple minor flip outs and thought I might have to excuse myself.
First of all when you are going to an exhibit of that size and you know it because it TELLS YOU on the site and on the news that EVERYTHING sells out so you have to buy tickets before you go take your huge fucking backpacks OFF MORONS check it in the bloody lockers and to the lady whose SUIT CASE I tripped over three times you are lucky I didn�t fall into one of the bodies and sue your ass when my hypothetically falling on it destroyed it. Her I had no patience for and threw my hands up in the air right in her face and glared at her.
You are not told anything about the people except that they voluntarily donated their bodies to the project. They do not tell you how they died. My only issue here was that in doing this they have also not provided the ages or ethnicity. I personally feel the ethnicity and age should be provided it would be nice to know if when separated from the body and under glass whether I�m looking at the inner workings of a sixteen year olds lady parts or a thirty-five year old. Adam was quick to point out you start stating the ethnicity then you�ve got everyone and their mother wanting to know why they aren�t represented which is a very good point but the ages I still feel should be provided.
Other than the annoying yappy people who thought they knew everything it was extremely fascinating to catch the bits and pieces of conversations on people�s operations and injuries and on the same token simply BEYOND fascinating to see all of my surgeries (two), breakage (collar bone) [although they did NOT have anything on the rhoids I was still able to see exactly where they had operated on me] and the workings of the inner ear from the times I have had Labyrinthitis and my ongoing Iliotibial Band injury.
The FULLY black lungs of a smoker where mind blowing. And when I say completely black I mean PITCH black WAY more black than the photo displayed here. I was mesmerized by them and sickened trying to convince myself my pot smoking is NOT doing that to my lungs knowing full well it is and then we walked out and lit up smokes. Adam did not smoke cigarettes at all the following day though I never said anything but I wonder�.
They save �the best� for last. The prenatals are extremely hard to view. If they were first I�d have turned and walked back out, obviously why they are last but it is STILL a lot to take in mentally even after viewing the rest.
It is in Vancouver until January I would venture a guess we will go again. Even having both books available there it isn�t enough, it was too amazing and I think honestly I was in a mild state of shock and think I�d retain a lot more specifics from the write ups if I were to return. Adam was fantastic at explaining most of mine and RJ�s questions because with everyone walking around talking like they are ALL experts (I�m sure SOME were) it was slightly intimidating and also so packed I missed stuff. Once you see these things don�t expect the visuals to leave you any time soon I can basically look at someone and see them with no skin now without even trying. Comparable to pretending everyone is naked when nervous over public speaking. Basically picturing people with no skin is the new naked after viewing that.
