Bodies: The Exhibition

January 18 2009 for a limited time. Dublin's most eagerly awaited and hyped show in years has opened amid a flurry of excitement and controversy : "Bodies: The Exhibition" has already seen by millions in various other European capital cities, but this amazing anatomical display in the Ambassador Theatre has provoked an outcry from some and acclaim from others.

Both shocking and educational, the exhibit offers visitors a chance to see real human bodies, meticulously preserved in a scientific process called polymer preservation, in a variety of extreme action poses that expose their organs and muscles. This is not for the faint hearted and provides a unique glimpse into the beauty, complexity and mechanics of human organs, even showing the effects of prolonged cigarette smoking on the body.

Dr Roy Glover is a retired anatomy professor of the University of Michigan and Medical Director of Bodies; he urged people not to be afraid and said "You won't be disappointed and your body will thank you for it." The bodies all came from a Chinese medical university but the contention surrounding the exhibition involves the claim that the bodies were illegally obtained from a Chinese prison. Dr Glover dismisses this, as does the Chinese government, both insisting that each person died of natural causes and that their bodies were unclaimed and unidentified. Suitable for all ages, (perhaps younger viewers should be accompanied) this is definitely worth a visit.

Admission is from