Gunther von Hagens, an anatomical artist known for his exhibits featuring human corpses, is under fire in the UK for his current exhibit. The families of the Alder Hey scandal victims claim that the exhibit is “an insult to the Alder Hey families and to the memories of their children.” But the show’s organizers plan to follow through with the exhibit anyway. In his defense, Hagens said:

I treat the living and the dead with respect. All the whole body specimens come from people who have donated to the Plastination Institute and said we can exhibit. This is the democratisation of anatomy. Lay people, not just scientists, can see specimens aesthetically presented. They notice the wonder of life and creation and are not haunted by the images of death and decay you see in horror films.

Telegraph: Corpse art outrages Alder Hey parents

See also: Exhibit With Human Bodies Debuts in L.A.

(via New World Disorder)