Our Body: The Universe Within

Medium: Sculpture

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Artist: Encore Events

Confronting Bodies: French court, Judge Louis-Marie Raingeard

Dates of Action: Opened on February 12, 2009; was banned in April 2009.

Location: Paris exhibition

Description of Artwork: Chinese corpses

The Incident: A French judge on slapped a ban on a Paris exhibition on the human anatomy that featured body parts from Chinese corpses, saying the display was indecent. Judge Louis-Marie Raingeard also ordered authorities to seize the body parts from the 17 Chinese men and women on display to allow for talks on providing them with a proper burial.

Results of Incident: Pascal Bernardin, manager of Encore Events, appealed but in September 2010 the French high court upheld the ban. According to the presiding judges, the display of corpses for commercial purposes goes against the French civil code, which states: "The remains of the deceased should be treated with respect, dignity and decency.".

Sources: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i5TtkDoy-H7MCHIvFub57wIyrRbg; http://www.france24.com/en/20100917-our-body-controversial-exhibition-france-appeal-court-ban-china-prisons-justice-arts