World famous exhibition “Secrets of the body. The Universe Within” has earned a reputation as a very controversial exposition over the seven years of its existence. The subject of controversy was the question of the mission that the exhibits should carry.
Exposure history
The idea of such an exposition was developed by scientists a long time ago, but for the first time a platform with anatomical exhibits was deployed in 2007. A thousandth army of scientists from the Hong Kong Education Center, Science Center and Foundation for Anatomical Technology and Sciences worked on its creation.
Currently, a huge exposition includes four sites demonstrating exhibits simultaneously in cities of different countries. The exhibition "Secrets of the Body", which took place in Moscow in 2014, was divided into 4 halls and consisted of more than 200 exhibits, including human bodies and individual organs. Acquaintance with the inner universe of the body began with the brain and circulatory system. Moving from exhibit to exhibit, visitors learned the intricacies of the respiratory and genitourinary systems, could see the internal organs both in their entirety and in section.
Since the firstpublic exposition exhibition "Secrets of the Body" received more than 2 million visitors. Demonstration platforms were set up in many cities around the world, and the opinion of the audience was mixed everywhere.
The main goal is cognitive visibility
The organizers voice the main goal of the exposition as educational. It is no coincidence that the guides at all sites have chosen doctors who are ready to answer all the questions of visitors. Some of them lead excursions, and some are present as consultants.
The exposition is aimed at helping to comprehend the secrets of the human body. The exhibition, from the first to the last exhibit, allows you to make a "journey" through all the systems of the body, visually study their complex relationship with each other, understand how a person moves, breathes and nourishes his body. It will be informative for people of any age.
Ethical aspects of exposure
To reveal the main theme of the knowledge of the body, the audience is shown real human bodies, no matter how ominous it may sound. Even though the former "owners" of them, even in their years of he alth, agreed to use their bodies for educational display, the mentality of many minds cannot fully accept this. This is the main factor in the resulting inconsistency in the attitude of the audience towards the exhibits.
It is not easy for many to realize that he sees the real body of a person, one might say, a corpse. At this point, issues of consent and conservation fade into the background. By the way, about conservation. To preserve the naturalness of the body and "give"his life, ultra-modern conservation technologies were used in the preparation of the exhibits. All the liquid that should have been in a living organism has been replaced with silicone, and the organs have undergone polymer conservation. This method allowed all the tissues and organs of the human bodies presented for review to retain a "live" appearance and amazing naturalness.
Prepare for the "correct" perception
It must be said that for an unprepared viewer, the exhibition "Secrets of the Body" can also have a strong negative impression. If we do not take into account doctors, whose minds from their student years are ready to perceive all the subtleties of the human body, then for a simple layman, even the most inquisitive, the anatomical theater is a shocking sight. All the curious cases in anatomical cases, which people in white coats recall with pleasure, cause a cautious smile in the rest. Everyone projects onto themselves. Could he bear it?
To protect yourself from such thoughts, it is better to find out first, at least briefly, what the “secrets of the body” exhibition is preparing for you. Photos, visitor reviews, maybe an anatomy textbook - all this will help you tune in to the “correct” perception.
Given the ethical side and respect for the exhibited bodies, the organizers have introduced a ban on amateur photography inside the site. One can only imagine how many people would want to take a “selfie” and how blasphemous it would look. Professional photography is provided by the exhibition itself "secrets of the body". Photos like both adults andchildren. For an original commemorative photo, a special photo wall was designed on the site.
Knowledge or Nightmare?
Faced with radically opposite feedback from visitors, the exposition was recognized as one of the scandalous and controversial. But the medical world never ceases to challenge this opinion.
Modern exhibition halls today open their doors to other sensational world expositions, where the creators do not hesitate to demonstrate the anomalies and ugliness of human bodies, where real provocative stories are drawn up related to the work of the vital systems of the body. Despite the debate about the moral side of this spectacle, the exhibition "Secrets of the Body" is perceived by the world medical community as a visual educational tool for non-professionals.
