'Bodies': Getting Under Your Skin

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YOU KNOW HOW a few years ago Christina Aguilera was all "I am beautiful in every single way"? Yeah, well, she's not.

We know this because we have witnessed the buzz-attracting touring show "Bodies: The Exhibition" at the Dome in Rosslyn (formerly the Newseum), and we can say for certain that if Xtina knew how closely her underskin parts resembled ham slices, she'd put that genie right back in the bottle.

Which isn' to say "Bodies" is not fascinating. The exhibition features real human bodies — cadavers from China, says the sponsoring corporation, of people who died naturally and left no relatives — preserved with polymer to show whole systems, from muscle to skeletal to the eerily beautiful vein network, interworking and intact.

The show has generated as much controversy as it has excitement, and it's easy to see why — these are human beings who laughed, breathed and moved, and it is at least distinctly odd to see them mounted and lit for our squeamish pleasure.

But "Bodies" does serve its stated purpose of wrenching viewers into confrontation with their own bodies — what we do to them and what the consequences are. Smoke-damaged lungs and a cirrhosis-enlarged liver are just a few of the cautionary artifacts on display, and it is awe-inspiring to stand before a human brain and realize you are processing its presence with one of your own.

The Dome in Rosslyn is an ideal spot for this unique show; it flows seamlessly from room to well-lit room, and wall plaques provide thought-provoking but not admonishing asides on each exhibit. Not that viewers will need much incentive to take care of their soul's precious carapace after seeing how miraculous it really is.

» 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; through Oct. 28, $26.50-32.50, seniors $21-$27, ages 4-12 $18-$24; 888-263-4379. (Rosslyn)

Image courtesy Bodies: The Exhibition