A Sydney exhibition featuring real human bodies—including specimens arranged in sexual positions—has prompted an ethics debate, with an anatomy expert questioning whether donors understood exactly how their remains could be displayed after death.
Dr Joyce El-Haddad, a senior lecturer in anatomy and histology at UNSW, asked whether the people who donated their bodies had provided informed consent for the specific presentations shown in the exhibition.
Body Worlds: The Anatomy of Happiness presents real human remains preserved using plastination, a technique that replaces bodily fluids with durable materials. The exhibition has drawn millions of visitors worldwide during the past 20 years.
“The organisers say the bodies were donated,” Dr El-Haddad said.
“But the bodies are presented in a wide range of scenes—some appear to be riding horses, others are shown in penetrative sexual positions, while some are displayed with basketballs. The examples continue.”
“Informed consent is not simply a box to tick. We need to ask who donated these bodies, what they believed they were agreeing to and how detailed the consent process actually was.”
“A signed form does not remove the need for respect, dignity, transparency or proper context.”
Organisers describe the exhibition’s body donation program, established in 1982, as the “ethical cornerstone” of Body Worlds. More than 21,000 people have registered as donors around the world.
UNSW anatomy and histology lecturer Dr Joyce El-Haddad said she wanted visitors to have enough information to make an “informed decision” about attending Body Worlds
The Sydney exhibition opened on Monday and has followed a Body Worlds format seen by millions of people worldwide since its launch more than two decades ago
Body Worlds has faced scrutiny after human remains were presented in sexualised poses
The donation scheme has been administered by Germany’s Institute for Plastination since 1993. The institute is no longer accepting new applications because its donor program has reached capacity.
Documents reviewed from the Institute for Plastination indicate that donors agree their remains may be used to produce “anatomical works of art” intended to support the “medical enlightenment of laypeople” in museums and exhibitions.
The consent documents also state that donated bodies may be supplied to organisations that operate commercially.
Donors may record preferences about the way their remains are used, including requests for particular poses. However, the institute says it cannot guarantee that those wishes will be followed.
The agreement additionally permits photographs and other images of plastinated bodies to be used indefinitely for educational, scientific and public information purposes.
Body Worlds is promoted as an educational attraction aimed at improving public knowledge of human anatomy, health and disease.
Dr El-Haddad nevertheless questioned how fully visitors can understand health, illness, ageing and wellbeing without knowing anything about the lives of the individuals whose bodies are being displayed.
“Consider your everyday interactions with other people. How much do you assume about someone before speaking with them or hearing about their experiences, difficulties, decisions and circumstances?”
Organisers say the body donation program, established in 1982, has enrolled more than 21,000 donors worldwide
Public displays of human remains have a long and often controversial history
‘The exhibition claims that it is educational….okay, but: Education requires more than information.
‘We often assume that simply looking at something means we are learning from it.
‘A diseased lung can show us what happened. It cannot tell us about addiction, socioeconomic disadvantage, environmental exposures, access to healthcare, culture, or the lived experience of disease.
‘Without that context, visitors are left to construct their own narratives and make their own assumptions.
‘And if the exhibition is also open to children, what assumptions are they taking away?’
Dr El-Haddad said her concerns also stemmed from the long and often controversial history of displaying human remains to the public.
Human bodies and remains have previously been exhibited in cabinets of curiosity, travelling fairs, medical museums, carnival sideshows and so-called ‘human zoos’.
She noted such displays have at times been linked to racism, ableism, colonialism, sexism, classism and exploitation, and questioned what distinguished modern body exhibitions from those historical practices.
‘So my question is – what shields modern day human body exhibitions from the same condemnation?’
Despite her concerns, Dr El-Haddad said attending the exhibition was ultimately a matter of personal choice.
‘Well, ultimately that is up to you and I hope this post helps you make a better informed decision that aligns with your values.’
The organisers of the exhibition have been contacted for comment.
