Myth of the Human Body: An eerie lesson in anatomy

This Halloween, consider a different way of getting creeped out. Imagine seven halls, 300 plastinated cadavers, and a very effective air-conditioning system. The 300 cadavers are not all in their complete state. Depending on which part is being emphasized, the other parts are removed. For instance, "The Red Man" is made completely of arteries. The "Myth of the Human Body" opened on October 15, 2010 at the Neobabylon Building along Bayani Road in Taguig City. You won't miss it. If you don't see the large pillars, the banner that invites you to "explore your body" will certainly catch your eye.

The awkward phrasing is a portent of things to come - the tour guides aren't particularly articulate, nor fluent, but you could choose to explore (the exhibit, not your body) on your own. The bodies, said to be donated, are arranged in seven halls. At the first hall, introductions are made. A video of Gunther von Hagens, who invented and patented the plastination technique is looped. Here, guests can see the plastination process, in which samples are dried, and then processed in a vacuum. Von Hagens, wearing a black fedora, is shown demonstrating the process using a horse. The fedora is reminiscent of Rembrandt's "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp", a dark, disturbing oil painting made in 1632. In the lobby of the Neobabylon building, the lights are just right - not spooky, and not fluorescent either. But it isn't quite clear what the exhibit is about, at least not from the first few bodies on display. One is posed as a basketball player, another as an archer - but it's confusing because the archer is shooting himself in the arm. The guide asks us to refrain from asking why the archer is shooting himself in the arm, because he says it is impossible to position the body properly. While I wonder if this is my cue to laugh, we are led into the first hall. The halls are named after Greek deities, hence the exhibit title "Myth of the Human Body." The first hall is Heracles, and the focus is on the muscular and skeletal system. Spread out beneath glass are different plastinated body parts, in various states of health, dissected to different degrees. Here it becomes clear that the exhibit is an anatomy lesson more than anything else. The guide rattles off facts about the human body, indicating the parts on display. After a few minutes, the guide ushers the group to the next hall and bids us to take care of our muscular and skeletal system. The advice is both friendly and ominous, given that we had just spent a few minutes staring at what our insides look like, or could look like.
The rest of the tour went the same way. Groups were guided through Poseidon (the respiratory system), Dionysus (the digestive system), Hades (the circulatory system), Eros (the reproductive system), Zeus (the brain and the nervous system), and Artemis (the fetal system). Some of the plastinated bodies were positioned innocently enough, simply upright, or maybe like a wrestler, like "The Strong Man." But some positions were a bit disconcerting, like the woman "holding" her organs, or the skinless man with his skin draped over his arm. Others, like the "Monterey Man" - literally chopped from head to toe - were really disturbing. Disturbing, and fascinating at the same time. The body parts were, after all, the real thing. After the Eros hall, guests could sit in a small room and watch "The End of Life," in which Herbie Mowes' final months are documented - up until his dying breath. No introduction was given to the film, nor explanation after. I surmised they must want the guests to reflect on their mortality some more - perhaps the plastinated liver with cancer or smoker's lungs weren't enough. All the tour guides said that the bodies were donated, but none of them could specify from where. Plastination was developed over two decades by Von Hagen, whose own career has been highly controversial. The 65-year old has been faced with legal accusations as well as critics from various groups. In 2002, he performed a public autopsy in a London theatre, despite having been warned by the the Queen's Inspector of Anatomy, Dr Jeremy Metters that this would be a criminal act under section 11 of the Anatomy Act of 1984. Von Hagens completed the public autopsy in front of more than 300 spectators, including the police, who did not interrupt him. In 2003, he was accused by Pro Wildlife of not having the necessary papers for a gorilla he had plastinated. However, he prevailed in court and Artis, the gorilla who had accidentally drowned, was included in his exhibit "Body Worlds." Despite the many issues surrounding Von Hagens and his work with plastination, millions of people are drawn to his exhibits, which have toured over 50 cities around the world. Meanwhile, other groups have set up their own similar exhibits, such as this one. "Myth of the Human Body" that showed in Korea for 10 years, and will be in the Philippines until April 2011. The whole exhibit takes around three hours. Guests can bring home their own wood-printed souvenirs at the end of the tour. - GMANews.TV