20/20: Inside the Bodies Exhibit
02/15/2008: Brian Ross investigates the source of bodies for the nationwide exhibits.
Watch the documentary
Premier Exhibitions, one of the world’s largest exhibition companies and the creator of “Bodies: The Exhibition” now showing in Pittsburgh is slammed for using untraceable bodies pre-packaged from human factories in China. This three month investigation finds links to executed Chinese prisoners and a flourishing organ trafficking industry from a country with huge human trafficking problems. It should be noted that Premier Exhibitions is in direct competition with Dr. von Hagen’s “Bodyworlds” exhibitions, who is the original mastermind behind plastination. Dr. von Hagen’s exhibitions rely on human donors primarily from Europe and he has not been implicated.
Until I saw this documentary I wasn’t aware that there was any difference between Bodyworlds and the Bodies exhibitions which is the reason for this post. I thought you might want to know before you go.
Ms. Wakame
Wow yes…
KittyKatze
It’s like a modern day Burke and Hare
Ms. Wakame
It’s one of those crazy scenarios that didn’t even exist a few years ago, so I’d be surprised if there are even loosse restrictions or laws governing and regulating the industry. I’m sure now practices will have to be stepped up since the investigation but it could be a while before strict laws are in place to cover new loopholes.
It’s just all so weird.
nathan
It seems pretty unreal that this is even allowed in the US if they can’t trace the bodies…can they at least confirm they’re Chinese?
Is it possible to tell something like that just from looking at the leftover plastic of a human spotty?
Sarah
They’re all playing a shell game. They have employees who all have worked one for the other, they have labs that have exchanged one for another. Its very incestuous. Don’t buy it that one is more ‘ethical’ than another. They’re all after the money and that’s the end of the story.
Ms. Wakame
I missed that… I thought all the exhibitions were sourced from Dr. von Hagen’s work. Apparently there are scores of websites with huge catalogues of plastinated anonymous bodies in various poses and body parts ready to ship to wherever.
nathan
I had seen another side to this article as well, but can’t remember the source.
I figured these were different exhibits since Bodyworlds’ website doesn’t mention anything about being in Pittsburgh…