By Kevin Lee Associate Editor

Controversy and art are familiar partners, frequently feeding from mutual furor.

The Gulf Coast Exploreum’s latest exhibit has brought the two together in a creative mixture. The show entitled “Our Body: The Universe Within” features 11 whole-body specimens and 75 anatomical displays preserved via polymer impregnation and since opening Jan. 11, the display has drawn over 65,000 visitors to the facility at the foot of Government Street. It concludes June 1.

The exhibit began its Mobile stay amidst controversy from area groups concerned the Chinese cadavers counted political prisoners among its number.

“There’s been a lot of misinformation about it,” Marketing Assistant Kristen Dreaper said. “We’ve answered those questions and put concern to rest.” Dreaper assured Artifice the bodies were willfully donated to science.

Included among the educational aspect of the exhibit is a more artistic component entitled “Percipio,” consisting of images produced by scientists at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, a product of their Art in Science program.

The work was created by adding fluorescent dyes to cell material and capturing the way various dyes were drawn to assorted cellular regions. Images were then captured via microscopy with filters allowing color variations to be recorded.

“Percipio” is on display through May 11 and pieces are available for purchase with proceeds going directly to the USA Center for Lung Biology and the College of Medicine to fund research.

Adding to that creative slant are a new twist, Artists’ Evenings wherein local artists are invited to use the displays of “Our Body” as subject material in their own studies.

“We had decent turnout on the first one and decided to extend it,” Dreaper said. “For some reason, Fridays were slower than Saturday. But the other (touring) visitors have all been intrigued by it.”

A final Artists’ Evening is scheduled for May 9, from 6 to 9 p.m. Reservations for the limited spots, free for the artists, are required. Artists should provide their own supplies and are encouraged to bring boards rather than easels while the facility will supply chairs.

These latter day Leonardos have included a USA medical student and his middle school art teacher wife, an art professor from USA, various USA art students and a former Press-Register reporter who was an art school graduate before turning to journalism.

“James Conlon, a professor from South, loved it so much he said he would be back,” Dreaper said. According to Dreaper, Conlon conducted a tantamount clinic on shoulder physiology.

To reserve a space, call 251-208-6851 or e-mail kdreaper@exploreum.com.

Tangentially…

Though controversy was turned to triumph at the Exploreum, global outrage has boiled across the Internet spawned by a Central American seemingly determined to cultivate it.

Costa Rican artist Guillermo Vargas, better known as Habakkuk, has raised ire with an exhibit from a Nicaraguan show late last year.

Vargas arrived in Managua and solicited the help of local children in catching a severely emaciated dog he spied living on the street.

Vargas then tied the sick and weakened creature in a corner of the exhibition hall, backed by a sign where the phrase “You are what you read” was written in dog food. Also included was as audio track of the Sandinista anthem backwards, photos and a burner smoldering rocks of crack cocaine and marijuana.

Viewers were asked not to touch or feed the animal or interfere with the work.

Marta Leonor Gonzalez, editor of the cultural supplement of La Prensa in Nicaragua, confirmed to the Costa Rican Web magazine nacion.com the neglected dog died after a day in the exhibition.

Animal cruelty activists in Costa Rica and across the world have decried the events.

Vargas told nacion.com his work was a tribute to Natividad Canda, a Nicaraguan who died after being attacked by two Rottweilers. Vargas even named the dog in his exhibit Natividad.

“Nobody came to free the dog nor give food or call the police,” Vargas said. “Nobody did anything.”

The artist refused to say whether or not he fed the animal.

Dispute has arisen as the gallery owners now maintain the dog was actually fed during hours when the public had no access and the animal did not die but instead “escaped during the night.”

It bears noting the conflicted resolutions serve those relaying each ending. The artist feels his authenticity lies in the dog’s death while the gallery is best served if the dog is believed to have lived.

Animal rights advocates have repudiated Vargas’ work and are currently suggesting he be excluded from the Central Honduras Biennial 2008. Several online petitions demanding Vargas’ exclusion like the one at http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ea6gk/ are making the Web rounds at present.

Naturally, debate over the nature of Vargas’ art are blazing.

In light of the international conflagration the Costa Rican has ignited, the kerfuffle at the Exploreum seems pale indeed.

Kevin Lee is Lagniappe associate editor. Contact him at klee@lagniappemobile.com.

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