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BODY WORLDS exhibit opens at Milwaukee Public Museum
Plastinates provide learning tool for how the body works
By KEVIN PASSON - TimeOut Staff

January 24, 2008

MILWAUKEE - We’ve all seen human skeletons made of plastic and organs made of rubber, but for a true eye-opening view of the human body, nothing beats BODY WORLDS.

Created by Dr. Gunther von Hagens, this first-of-its-kind exhibition is the culmination of the German scientist and physician’s 33-year career in anatomy. BODY WORLDS, which opened last week at the Milwaukee Public Museum, presents more than 200 authentic specimens, including organs and whole body specimens, that have undergone plastination - von Hagens’ method of halting decomposition and preserving the body after death for medical study, which he invented in 1977.

Dan Finley, president and CEO of the Milwaukee Public Museum, compared the exhibit to the opening of the museum’s planetarium, which allows people to view outer space.

"Here today, with BODY WORLDS, we have the opportunity to explore inner space," he said at a Jan. 17 press conference. "This is a most stunning and important exhibition."

BODY WORLDS’ plastinates provide visitors with an unprecedented learning tool for understanding how the body works and how lifestyle choices can have an enormous impact on the body’s health. The specimens in the exhibit stem primarily from the Institute for Plastination’s body donation program, which maintains a donor roster of more than 8,000 living and deceased donors, including about 700 from the United States.

Many donors make the decision to leave their body to the Institute for Plastination after viewing BODY WORLDS.

"The vast majority of donors decide to do so after seeing the exhibition," said Dr. Angelina Whalley, the creative and conceptual designer of BODY WORLDS exhibitions and the director of the Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, Germany. "Few change their minds."

The exhibits have educated and inspired more than 25 million people throughout the world since 1996.

Whalley said the interest in the human body has a long history, particularly during the Renaissance.

"The human body was exalted," she said. "Human anatomy was indispensable to Renaissance art. The human body here in BODY WORLDS is presented with the utmost respect."

The plastination process replaces bodily fluids and soluble fat in specimens with fluid plastics that harden after vacuum-forced impregnation. After the bodies are fixed into lifelike poses, they are hardened with gas, heat or light. The plastinates show how bodies respond, internally, to movements in everyday life as well as during athletic activities.

Among the body parts displayed are hearts, lungs, intestines, bones and muscles. Preparing a whole body for plastination can take several months and even longer depending on the pose that is used. The body of a man on a rearing horse took three years to prepare.

"Like all donors in the exhibit, this donor left behind a living legacy," Whalley said.

Finley said he expects attendance to top 300,000, double that of "The Vatican: Legacy of the Popes" that the museum hosted two years ago.

Children are allowed in the exhibit, but Finley said is intended for those at least in the fifth grade. However, parents should decide whether their child is prepared to view the exhibits.

Whalley said the exhibit engages visitors at physical, emotional and physiological levels.

"Many visitors are inspired and moved by the exhibit," she said.

Kevin Passon can be reached at kpasson@conleynet.com
Body Worlds: The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies

What is the purpose of the exhibition?

Body Worlds was designed to educate the public about the inner workings of the human body and to show the effects of lifestyle choices. It is also presented in the hopes that it will stimulate curiosity about the science of anatomy and physiology.

Would visitors be able to learn just as much from books or models of the human anatomy?

The unique use of authentic specimens presents an up-close look at disease, physiology and anatomy in a way that cannot be shown with models, textbooks or photos. In addition, the exhibition allows visitors to understand that each and every body has its own unique features, even on the inside.

Why does the public need to see this exhibition?

The organizers of Body Worlds and the Milwaukee Public Museum believe that when people understand more about how the body works and how it responds to different environmental factors or physical changes they can make more informed choices in their lives. Understanding what the human body looks like and how it functions is basic life science information that should be available to everyone.

Is this exhibition appropriate for children?

Nearly 25 million people have viewed the Body Worlds exhibitions, including children. While the exhibition surely resonates with young people, especially those 12 and older, Body Worlds offers an educational experience for all ages. General Milwaukee Public Museum policy, however, states that a responsible adult, parent, guardian, or school chaperone accompany children younger than 16.

How many plastinates are in the exhibitions?

The Body Worlds exhibition presents about 200 individual human specimens including plastinated organs, organ configurations, transparent body slices, corrosion specimens, and an array of whole-body plastinates.

Why are there not more women plastinates in the exhibits?

Sensitive to perceived community concerns, Dr. Gunther von Hagens did not want to appear voyeuristic in revealing too many female bodies. Further, he sees himself in the tradition of Renaissance anatomists, whose works traditionally included far more masculine than feminine bodies, because all but the reproductive systems are essentially the same. The musculature of male bodies is generally more pronounced and illustrates more aspects of the muscle system. The organs on display come primarily from the female body donors.

Will visitors be able to touch any of the plastinates?

While you will be able to get very close to the plastinates, visitors are not allowed to touch them. The one exception is a specific area within the exhibition where visitors may touch a select group of plastinated organs to understand human anatomy and the process of plastination better.

Can visitors take photographs or film in the exhibit?

Photography and filming are not allowed in Body Worlds.
AT A GLANCE

WHAT: BODY WORLDS - Using the process of plastination, Body Worlds makes public what was before only available to medical professionals. By showcasing nearly 200 real human specimens and more than 20 whole-body plastinates, visitors can better understand the intricacies, vulnerabilities and wonders of the human body. Viewers can see inside the complex and interconnected network of muscles, tendons and blood vessels that make up the human body.

WHERE: Milwaukee Public Museum, 800 W. Wells St., Milwaukee

WHEN: open now for a limited engagement; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays

HOW MUCH: weekdays - adults, $21; seniors 62 and older, $16.50; students with ID, $16.50; children 3 through 18, $12; weekends - adults, $24; seniors 62 and older, $19.50; students with ID, $19.50; children 3 through 18, $15; members - adults, $12; seniors 62 and older, $10.50; students with ID, $10.50; children 3 through 18, $8; audio guide - adults, $5; seniors 62 and older, $5; students with ID, $5; children 3 through 18, $4

TICKETS: Tickets are offered at 15-minute intervals. Plan on getting in line 15 minutes before assigned time. Tickets available at the museum box office, by calling (414) 223-4676 or visiting www.mpm.edu.