Have you ever heard about the Body Worlds’ Exhibitions? As for me, I had never heard of it before that day and to be honest I couldn’t even imagine that such a thing could exist.
That day I was just strolling alone around the streets in Milan and suddenly I saw a long queue in front of the “Fabbrica Del Vapore” exhibitions theatre. Urged by curiosity, I went closer to take a look at the poster hanging at the entrance. I got so intrigued that I decided to visit the exhibition.
What is the Body Worlds about?
Simply put, Body Worlds Exhibition is a showcase of the human anatomy using real human bodies treated with the technique of plastination. It is an eye-opening journey under the skin.
These bodies once belonged to people who declared during their lifetime that their bodies should be made available after their deaths for the qualification of physicians and the instruction of laypersons.
The inventor of this incredible idea is Gunther Von Hagens and he employs around 340 people at five laboratories in four different countries.
Body Worlds Exhibitions take place all over the world and they have already received more than 50 million visitors across 140 cities around the world since the first exhibit in 1995.
What is the method used by Gunther Von Hagens in Body Worlds?
The method used by Gunther Von Hagens in Body Worlds is called plastination. It is a technique used in anatomy to preserve bodies or body parts. And it was Gunther von Hagens who first developed it in 1977.
The five steps used in the standard process of plastination are: fixation, removal of body fat and water, forced impregnation, positioning, and hardening. The process replaces natural body fluids with polymers that harden to create odourless and dry “specimens.”
For more details about the plastination process used by Gunther Von Hagens, you can check out the official Body Worlds webpage.
5 reasons why you should visit Body Worlds Exhibition.
All the knowledge I possess everyone else can acquire, but my heart is all my own.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- BODY WORLDS exhibitions are made of real human specimens, including a series of fascinating body plastinates as well as individual organs, organ configurations, blood vessels, and transparent body slices. This means that it takes the visitor under the skin. It provides wide knowledge into the anatomy and physiology of the human body. It could also be interesting for children but, before buying your tickets, make sure that your family and kids will be ok with seeing the human under-skin.
- BODY WORLDS exhibitions will also touch you emotionally because Gunther Von Hagens has perfectly combined the anatomy with psychology: feelings. This is what makes these shows extraordinary! It is quite difficult to explain but in layman’s terms you end up realizing how special we are because heart and mind work wonderfully together to make us unique. For me this is the most touching part of the Body Worlds Exhibitions.
- BODY WORLDS exhibitions are informative and educational and since they display healthy and diseased organs, you can compare the two and easily understand. They display the long-term impact of diseases and addictions and demonstrate the mechanics of artificial knee and hip joints.
- BODY WORLDS exhibitions increase your sensitivity toward science and scientific research and you may even consider donating organs after your death. Let’s be honest, that would be really a great thing.
- Last but not least, BODY WORLDS exhibitions help you to pay more attention to yourself and your health. Since we’re made to realize how special we are, we tend to change our lifestyle for the better.
Body Worlds Exhibition, a few things to know.
- The entrance ticket is quite expensive. It costs about € 25.00, but if you think about the huge amount of work behind it you can easily understand the reason.
- The temporary exhibitions take place all around the world, but you should know that there is a fixed museum in Amsterdam. Body Worlds Amsterdam is based on a project called happiness. Here you can see how your everyday choices can impact your health, and therefore your happiness.
- All the bodies used in the Body Worlds exhibitions are donated by people who in life had decided to donate their body to BODY WORLDS for educational purposes.
My experience at Body Worlds Exhibition at the Fabbrica Del Vapore in Milan.
What can I say, I truly liked it. As I already wrote here above, I found this journey between the body and mind to be fascinating. We are beyond any explanation. We are magic and mysterious!!! I can only compliment the workers behind this scenery on the enormous talent for putting together these two aspects in order to give the audience the completeness of the human beings. I have a scientific university preparation so Body Worlds Exhibition has also been a refresher for me.
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