The Body Worlds exhibits are the wildly popular and widely controversial studies in understanding and celebrating human anatomy.
Dr. Gunther von Hagens is the inventor of a process called plastination that preserves the human body. Dr. von Hagens has used this process, with the approval of body donors, to create an exhibition that is a cross between an anatomy textbook and an art canvas.
There are currently three different Body Worlds exhibits crossing the globe. The original Body Worlds is a large, all encompassing exhibit created by Dr. von Hagens. Body Worlds 2 is focused on athletic individuals and the body in motion while Body Worlds 3 specifically references the Middle Ages and the Renaissance view on anatomy.
Plastination
The plastination process is effectively a method of stopping the normal decay that follows death. By extracting the body fluids and soluble fat, Dr. von Hagens was able to replace the fluids with reactive resins and elastomers. The resins are vacuum forced throughout the body. The plastination process is completed by curing the body with heat, light or gas. The final model is rigid and effectively permanent.
Every person who is a part of the Body Worlds exhibit donated their body and new exactly what it was going to be used for. This whole exhibit relies entirely on selfless people who allow their bodies to be used as essentially an anatomy textbook in 3D.
Exhibition
Much of the controversy surrounding Body Worlds is in how the bodies are posed. Dr. von Hagens has taken care to be completely respectful of the people who have donated their bodies. You will not be able to learn any personal information nor understand how they died.
For the most part, Body Worlds is a study of the human body in motion. A few examples include a swimmer, skateboarder, runner, boxer and even a horse rider atop a plastinated horse.
Dr. von Hagens has explained that the poses are done in an effort to let visitors relate their own bodies to the exhibit.
Expectations
While Body Worlds is a fascinating look into how the human body operates, there are a few considerations to be made.
Body Worlds exhibits are graphic at times. Small children may have a difficult time with many images. There are considerably more male plastinates than female. That has been done by design to remove any voyeuristic issues, but also because male muscles are generally more defined.
The body donations are carefully considered. There are currently over 6500 people included to donate their body upon their death and over 400 deceased body donors. By contacting the Heidelberg Institute for Plastination, all potential body donors can be educated on specifically what will happen upon their death.
Dr. von Hagens bi-annually meets with donors to speak and answer any questions they may have.
There is a North American and International Office that maintains the Body Donation program and can be contacted at any time.
The Body Worlds exhibition is a fascinating combination of anatomy textbook, art canvas and an unreal experience of the human body. There have been imitators cropping up, but nobody has captured the same spirit as Dr. von Hagens. You would be remiss to not check into this exhibit and gain new incredible insights into the human body.
