There is some controversy regarding this exhibition and how the bodies came to be used. You can't help but notice a few placards as you enter the Entertainment Quarter but, I am not going to dwell on this, all I can tell you is what I saw and what I thought of the exhibition as a scientific study of the human body.
When I was very much younger, I studied the History of Medicine and visited the Science Museum in London. Some of the exhibits reminded me of what I saw all those year's ago. This is a powerful exhibition which explores life by displaying 20 real, perfectly preserved human bodies and over 200 anatomical specimens. It is extremely well presented, the bodies were very interesting and so well preserved, just seeing everything so clearly and close up was amazing. The labelling was informative and easy to understand. The process they used to preserve the bodies is called Plastination. It is a technique used in anatomy to preserve bodies or body parts. Liquid silicone rubber is used to replace the water and fat in the bodies. This means that the bodies do not smell or decay, and they retain most of the properties of the original sample. It is this preservation that makes this exhibition so special.
The exhibition takes you on a journey through the body -
- Anatomist’s Study
- Breathe
- Hunger
- Rhythm
- Move
- Think
- What Becomes of Us
- Love
- Beginnings
- Repair
As you wander through each section, you learn about each part of the body and how it connects to the next. For me, I found the arteries and veins the most fascinating, if not quite beautiful in structure.
The exhibition is a reminder of how our bodies function and how important it is to look after it. I over heard one lady remark to her family, “that is where they took 15 mm from.” I thought it was nice that people could see and perhaps learn more about what had happened to them. At the end of the exhibition there is a very thoughtful note that in 25 year's time scientists may well have developed the body to repair itself and basically become immortal. This did provoke some deep and meaningful discussion that night over a few glasses of wine!
For more information please visit their website - http://www.realbodiesexhibition.com.au/