'Body Worlds' anatomist tells MTV News he 'welcomes the opportunity' to work with Gaga, but did not confirm collaboration.

Will [artist id="3061469"]Lady Gaga[/artist] be working with the dead on the upcoming leg of her Monster Ball Tour?

In a story published Wednesday (June 23) in British tabloid The Sun,, the newspaper reported that Gaga has reached out to Gunther von Hagens, a controversial anatomist who invented a technique for preserving cadavers called plastination and is responsible for the popular traveling exhibition "Body Worlds."

The Sun quoted "a friend" of Gaga as saying "she is fascinated by Gunther's work and life ... [Gaga] sees a kindred spirit and is hoping to meet him in New York. They have spoken over e-mail and it's gone well. She is keen to have some Body Worlds element in one of her shows."

The source went on to say that Gaga is aiming to incorporate von Hagens' work into her tour by the time it gets to Las Vegas, which doesn't happen until March of 2011.

"It would be good to top this tour — which is already out-there — with something nobody has done before, using dead bodies as part of a gig," the source said.

While it all sounds a bit outrageous, given the popularity of the "Body Worlds" exhibition and Gaga's penchant for provocation, it's not as implausible as it might seem. In a statement to MTV News on Wednesday, von Hagens said he would "offer no comments on conversations that have already taken place with the singer or her representatives," but added that he "welcomes the opportunity" to work with Gaga.

"As someone who practices the violin every day, I feel that music is vital to our humanity and fundamental to our wellbeing. The post-mortal plastinated body on the other hand is a momento mori, a reminder that we must all die," he continued. "To create a convergence of both these profound subjects and ideas would be a wonderful challenge. To do so with a risk-taking, boundary-pushing artist like Lady Gaga would be a meeting of the minds and I look forward to it."

A rep for Gaga's label had not responded to MTV News' request for comment on the story at press time.

What would you think if Gaga incorporated corpses into her show? Let us know in the comments.