past events

January 24, 2007
Humanism in the Age of "Enhancement":
A Critical Response to "Body Worlds"
A Community Forum Hosted by
IIT's Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future
5:30 PM
Chicago-Kent College of Law Auditorium
565 W. Adams
Chicago, Illinois

see event
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The Body Worlds exhibitions, hailed by some as a towering achievement in anatomical science, have been surrounded by controversy, as Dr. von Hagens' creations are seen by others as denigrating the deceased. Still others raise concerns about the commoditization of the human body and issues related to how the corpses used in the exhibits were obtained. Humanism in the Age of "Enhancement": A Critical Response to "Body Worlds," hosted by the Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future (IBHF), seeks to engage a critical discussion about: the Body Worlds exhibits; the effects of art and science on the human form; the use and acquisition of human bodies and biological materials; and the implications of von Hagen's project on human dignity. The event, which is free but requires an RSVP, will feature:

• Liz Lerman, M.A., founding artistic director of the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, and 2002 recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship "Genius Award";

• Hannah Higgins, Ph.D., associate dean at the University of Illinois at Chicago and author of Fluxus Experience;

• Lindsey Thieman, program coordinator at International Museum of Surgical Science;

• Christina Bieber Lake, Ph.D., IBHF affiliated scholar, associate professor at Wheaton College, and author of The Incarnational Art of Flannery O'Conner; and

• Katrina Sifferd, J.D., Ph.D., IBHF affiliated scholar, attorney, adjunct faculty member at Elmhurst College, and expert in the philosophy of psychology.

Nigel M. de S. Cameron, Ph.D., president of IBHF, and associate dean and research professor of bioethics at Chicago-Kent College of Law, will moderate the discussion. The exhibition of art is curated by Jonathan Rhodes, executive director of ThreeWalls, J.D. candidate at Chicago-Kent College of Law, and IBHF research assistant.