From April 13 till September 9, 2012 the Boerhaave Museum in Leiden (The Netherlands) presents the exhibition ‘The weighty body’ which has been shown last year in Ghent (Belgium). It presents the fascinating ways in which humans have been dealing with their own bodily appearance. The central theme is a history of fasting. Why do people abstain from food? Are their motives personal or aesthetic, religious or financial? When do we speak of a deranged relation to one’s own body? The exhibition is centered around four major themes: (1) the elevated body or fasting and religion; (2) the body in politics and ideology; (3) body aesthetics and eating disorders; (4) the future of the body and medical technology. An accompanying catalogue (in three languages: Dutch, French & English) is published. More information here.