Dead People On Parade

I went to The Museum of Science and Industry today and saw Gunther von Hagens' Body Worlds exhibit (which is now around 8 years old and has been seen around the world).

Here's a description of the most spectacular installation, “Rearing Horse and Rider”:

This is a plastinated stallion and a plastinated man. The horse is rearing in the classical pose of a war-horse. The massive body is elegantly balancing on the strong back legs. The front legs are bent as if the horse was about to leap forward in a right side gallop; (the right leg higher and before the left). The only thing left of the stallion’s red coat is a belt leading from the crown of its head to the tip of the hindquarters including the ears, mane and tail. The rest of the body is bare muscles and ligaments. The right side of the horse’s muscle-threaded torso is opened to show the gut and the neck is sliced to reveal the windpipe. The left side is opened to unveil the spine as well as the skull. The chest is sliced to expose the massive cardiovascular system of an animal of this size.

A skinless man is placed in a rider’s position leaning forward holding in his left had the horse’s brain and his right double sliced arm he carries his own brain in the muscle part and a horse whip in the skeleton part. He is sliced in three vertical planes; the fist showing his front side, middle slice revealing his internal organs and the final section showing his backside. The muscles are attached to the spine but are cut at the attachment at the side of his body. The back muscles are then bent out and up from the torso.

Check it out if you get the chance, it’s not something that can be easily forgotten.