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Bishop's misgivings about Body Worlds 4

06/02/2008

A new exhibition at Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) has sparked a controversial debate between the MOSI and the Church of England.

The Body Worlds 4 exhibition features the work of German anatomist Gunther von Hagens, who preserves and displays human bodies using the technique of plastination.

According to the Bishop of Manchester, the event devalues human life and has the potential to confuse the spiritual outlook of younger people.

"My concern is that the bodies of people who have lived lives, some of whom, I suspect, with quite a bit of suffering, are simply being used effectively for a kind of freaky horror show," he told the BBC.

Tony Hill, acting director of MOSI, reportedly defended the exhibition against the bishop's criticisms, describing the work of von Hagens as "groundbreaking".

He added that the display demonstrates the detrimental effects of unhealthy lifestyles to people.

In 2002 von Hagens was watched by an audience of 500 people as he performed the first public autopsy in Britain for 170 years.