An inside look at the new exhibit, Body Worlds: The Story of the Heart.
Artwork by Mia Nogueira
Upon entering the Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s new exhibit, The Story of the Heart, I felt gross.
Grossly intrigued, grossly fascinated, and grossly grossed out.
Needless to say, the exhibit caught my attention immediately, not only because it had detailed explanations on cardiology, anatomy, and how the heart nourishes and regulates the human body, but also because of the exhibit’s artistic displays of human cadavers in action. Plus, the bodies on display are real, adding to the exhibit’s impact on my intellect, and my stomach.
Body Worlds consists primarily of two types of displays: Plastinates and body slices. Plastinates, the processed and poised human bodies, tend to be the main attraction of the exhibit. These anatomically mind-blowing works of art are created through the process of Plastination, a method of hampering decomposition invented in 1977 by anatomist Gunter von Hagens. The process involves the removal of all fluid and fat from the cadaver, and replacing them with rubber-like material called elastomers. This allows the plastinated body to be sculpted into various positions, keeping them in a rigid stance before they are put on display.
The first Plastinate seen on display is titled “Archer”. This simple yet intriguing sculpture portrays a man, kneeling on a platform, wielding a taut bow and arrow. Besides the Plastinate is a brief description of the muscles at work within the display, along with a diagram of the archer, fully labeled with muscles and tendons. While the man was artfully modeled, I found the information that accompanied the art to be just as fully accomplished. The description of the Plastinate included what the sculpture depicted, how anatomy helped the Plastinate achieve this task, and how the task the Plastinate was performing was related to the heart. All this information was brief and concise, while remaining fascinating and complete. This made the entire exhibit seem much more legitimate, instead of simply relying on the shock-value of having human bodies used for art.
The other Plastinates in the exhibit were similar to “Archer” in their in-depth descriptions and artful positioning. There were Plastinates figure skating, multiple Plastinates doing contortion gymnastics, and even Plastinates playing ice hockey. However, easily the most fascinating of these anatomical works of art was a display of two Plastinates, both leaning towards one another with their arms outstretched. The aspect of this sculpture that set it apart from all other displays in exhibit was the fact that the Plastinate’s organs, instead of being kept within the body, were protruding from their backs, forming an elegant heart shape around the two bodies.
This breathtaking exhibition of two human bodies was absorbing, enchanting, and insanely weird. The sight of someone’s organs surrounding the body they came from is – while slightly sickening – very thought provoking. It truly showed what humans are made of, and how complicated one human body is. It was like looking at the Mona Lisa, broken down into a jigsaw puzzle.
Alongside the many Plastinates were numerous display cases containing human organs and body slices, which are translucent cuttings of human organs preserved by Plastination. These display cases, while certainly not the main attraction of the exhibit, were very informative, and ultimately gave a brilliant illustration of the workings of human organs and their relationship with the heart. Probably the most informative and interesting display case was one containing various slices of the heart and its chambers.
Since its first exhibition, Body Worlds has been relatively controversial simply because of its use of deceased human bodies for educational and artistic purposes. However, one segment of the exhibit remains to be the most provocative, and that is the use of deceased fetuses and embryos. This section, separated from the rest of the exhibit by curtains to allow viewer discretion, contains a series of fetuses in different stages of development, along with a detailed description of the prenatal growth process. While there is obvious scientific value to the display, it remains to be slightly sickening. Simply the concept of this exhibition of early human life is enough to get some people queasy. Actually witnessing it is, to be frank, enough to make the viewer sick to the stomach. While I do not condemn this highly controversial section of the exhibit ethically, I do recommend serious consideration and judgment before entering this neck of the woods.
Ultimately, Body Worlds is a mixed encounter. It’s thought provoking, emotionally stimulating, and sometimes simply disgusting. But then again, this makes the exhibit the type of experience that doesn’t leave the attendees as they leave the room. Like the human body, the exhibit is complex, and doesn’t have the intention of being fully comprehended the first time around. Using intricate displays, detailed summaries, and of course, real human bodies, the Story of the Heart effectively captures the mind and the heart of all who attend.
The exhibit is open through July 18, 2010, and is open from 9:00am-5:00pm on Sunday through Wednesday, and 9:00am-9:00pm on Thursday through Saturday. Student tickets cost $16.
