It is not the first time that Body Worlds has shown dead bodies in the act of sex. In
May of this year their exhibition 'Life Cycles' which focuses on the human experience from conception to death did have an exhibit of a male and female cadaver having intercourse.
The Berlin exhibition quickly brought calls for the sexual part of the exhibit to be taken down as some thought it to be pornographic and "an insult to the dead," reported
Associated Content.
German politicians have called the show "revolting" and "unacceptable."
The exhibitions are made possible by
plastination, a technique invented by anatomist Gunther von Hagens, that removes water from specimens and preserves them with silicon rubber or epoxy resin reports
Reuters.
The anatomist and his wife, Angelina Whalley, who is Body Worlds creative director said in an interview with
Reuters that they plan to open the sexual exhibition next year.
Body World's Soccer Player
Courtesy of Gunther von Hagens
Whalley said, "It's not my intention to show certain sexual poses. My goal is really to show the anatomy and the function."
27 million people have visited Body Worlds exhibitions and they have often been criticized for showing bodies stripped of their skin often in theatrical positions.
Von Hagens is responsible for positioning the cadavers and says that he has lengthy discussions with his wife Whalley on how to do this without crossing the lines of decency.
The new show being planned has brought up other issues as well. For instance, von Hagens said, "We have discussed whether it is proper to show homosexuality and in what way. This is a very delicate subject.," Reuters also reported.
Von Hagens and his wife Angelina Whalley both plan to donate their bodies for plastination.
