|
|
Feb. 16, 2007
A whole world of controversy
Artistic science exhibit raised eyebrows but was appreciated.
BAILA LAZARUS
Perhaps not since the Meat Dress has there been a display that
has garnered as much appreciation and revulsion as Gunther von Hagen's
Body Worlds exhibit at the Telus World of Science that ran this
past fall and wrapped up in January.
Though the show was over, it still provoked a lively Philosophers'
Café discussion at the L'Chaim Lounge at the Jewish Community
Centre of Greater Vancouver Saturday night, with guest host Dr.
Rabbi Laura Kaplan. This particular Philosophers' Café –
Science, Art or Travesty? Ethics of Body Worlds – was far from
sold out, possibly due to the fact that many people hadn't been
to see the controversial presentation, where cadavers had been skinned
and propped up in various poses. Even at the Saturday night lecture,
only about half of the two dozen or so audience members had seen
it.
But a book of the exhibit was passed around, and those who hadn't
seen the show were able to participate in the discussions. Responses
from the audience, and Kaplan herself, ranged from appreciation
of the artistic merit to dismissal of any education value the exhibit
might bring to fear of what effect such a display would have on
young children. The group discussed the relationship between body
and soul; the question of whether such an exhibit constitutes "art";
and what Judaism has to say, given its reverence of the human body,
especially after death.
For Judaism, a person equals a body and a soul, Kaplan told the
crowd. And the Talmud teaches that it takes the soul a year to travel
to its resting place. But on the question of life after death, "our
tradition is all over the place," she said, adding that, while
the idea of organ donation has been accepted so long as it will
save a life, the question still remains as to whether organ donation
for scientific research justifies desecration of the body after
death.
Kaplan said that, for her part, she found the areas of the display
cases, many of which showed healthy and diseased body organs and
tissues side by side, evoked a mood that was "very serious
and informative," but she found the plastinated figures, set
in various poses, "almost whimsical." And she questioned
the usefulness of the banners hanging next to the bodies that contained
philosophical quotes about life, such as one by Immanuel Kant: "What
can I know? What should I do? What may I hope for? What is man?"
One pose reminded her of a painting that had been hanging in her
aunt's apartment. "The exploitation of the woman's body bothered
me," said Kaplan.
Sandi Moussadji found the exhibit very educational, but felt ambivalent
because she didn't feel like this should be done to dead bodies.
Reisa Schneider, curator of the Sidney and Gertrude Zack Gallery,
went with her daughter and husband. "Something spiritual in
me said, 'Don't go; it's not right,' " but when she switched
her perspective, trying to forget that she was looking at dead bodies,
she found it interesting.
Another audience member was very impressed with the artistic endeavor.
"This, to me, was an attempt to bring art and science together,"
said Bernice Miller, pointing out that there's been a long tradition
in science of people like Leonardo Da Vinci examining corpses. "The
desire to look at the body scientifically and the controversy that
surrounds it have been around a long time.
"They were learning about the world they were living in and
made tremendous research," she said. "When it comes to
anatomical sketches, the artists always tried to make sketches that
were beautiful artistically. It looks to me like it's been updated,
with a more modern form.... You see art made out of something you
don't usually see art made of. But how much more accurate can you
get?"
Turning to the question of who should see the exhibit, some in the
audience felt it was a perfect means to educate children about taking
care of their bodies; others didn't want young children to see it
because they might be adversely affected. Kaplan pointed out that
this specific Body Worlds exhibit was not child-friendly and it
would have been interesting to see what a child-friendly Body Worlds
show might look like, and what it would teach.
As for her own family, Kaplan went with her husband, 11-year-old
son and 13-year-old daughter.
"My husband was fascinated," she said. "My 11-year-old
was creeped out, and my 13-year-old looked at the display cases
for a while, then went outside to play with her brother."
Baila Lazarus is a freelance writer, photographer and
illustrator living in Vancouver. Her work can be seen at www.orchiddesigns.net.
^TOP
|
|
