One for the bizarre-o files

By para_sight, on September 13th, 2011 4 comments   Organisms, Weird   China, whale sharks  

Check out this 2 ton plastinated partial whale shark dissection on display in a pedestrian shopping mall in Dalian, China:

I can’t decide whether this is really cool or just flat-out bizarre.  I guess it depends where the specimen came from.

4 comments to One for the bizarre-o files

• Chuck

  September 13, 2011 at 18:13 · Reply

  Why did someone paint racing stripes on it?

  • para_sight

    September 13, 2011 at 18:40 · Reply

    I’m sure you’re just being funny, but in case others are wondering – the black stripes on the gills are whats left of the skin, which has been flayed away from the rest of the animal. Charming, no?

    The more I think about this, the more I think there’s a way an exhibit like this could have been done right. Maybe in a museum setting, with proper interpretation and a story about the particular individual animal involved (assuming it was a serendipitous collection and not deliberately killed for this purpose, which would be horrific), but plasticised, stuck on a pole and plopped in an outdoor mall probably isnt the right way. Maybe there’s more to the story that I didnt find out, I hope so.

    • Chuck

      September 14, 2011 at 18:30 · Reply

      It never ever occurred to me that the black stripes were what was left of the skin. That’s actually pretty disturbing. I agree that in a museum this could be done right, but it’s a bit extreme for a public art piece and I’m not sure what kind of message it’s supposed to send. It reminds me of Damien Hirst’s pickled sharks, which isn’t really a good thing.

• Aeolius

  September 13, 2011 at 19:09 · Reply

  Perhaps PETA should abscond with the beast and release it back into the North Pacific Gyre, where it can feast upon plastic for all of its days.