November 17, 2005

'Bodies' exhibit opening at South Street Seaport

"BODIES ... The Exhibition" will open Saturday at the South Street Seaport, filling up the new Exhibition Centre with 22 whole bodies and 260 organs and partial body specimens.

The bodies -- all real -- have been preserved with liquid silicone rubber that is treated and hardened, creating rubberized specimens preserved to the cellular level. The bodies, all from China, were "either unclaimed or unidentified," according to the NY1 report.

The exhibition includes a gallery showcasing the impacts of obesity on human organs, as well as a side-by-side comparison of a helthy and smoker's lung. The "exhibition encourages healthy lifestyle choices," according to event organizers.

Admission is a steep $24.50 for adults and $18.50 for children under 12. Tickets are available online through TicketPro. The exhibition will be open every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Mondays through Wednesdays, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays.

Update: The show hasn't been lacking controversy because despite what show organizers say, some people believe "they were obtained illegally, given the Chinese government's poor human rights record and the medical establishment's practice of recycling the organs of executed prisoners."

November 17, 2005 08:28 AM in Downtown, Sightsology

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