First of all let me explain that I don’t put cadavers on display. A plastinated body has undergone a change in its meaning just as a table can no longer be considered a tree, or a steak, a dead animal. What I show are anatomical objects, not cadavers. The exhibit is not a post mortal mourning ground, but a hall of anatomical enlightenment.
--Gunther von Hagens
For medical science, the study of anatomy relies on dissection, illustration and models. For those that aren't too squeamish to look, the prepared bodies of the Body Worlds exhibit have revealed specifics of anatomy, physiology and health with absolute clarity and astonishing detail.
The bodies, which have been donated to science, have been preserved by a process called 'plastination,' invented in 1977 by Dr. Gunther von Hagens at Heidelberg University. Authentically posed playing soccer or basketball, pondering a chess move, swimming and running, the plastinated figures illustrate the fine network of the muscle, organ and vascular systems. The groundbreaking technology has been remarkably important for educational purposes and is used in hundreds of institutions worldwide, yet remains controversial. The exhibition has been called 'gruesome' and Dr. von Hagens has been labeled a 'body snatcher,' irreverent and disrespectful in his sensationalized treatment of the dead.
What is the potential benefit in viewing artfully posed plastinates? Awareness of what lies beneath our skin, appreciation of the functionality we take for granted, motivation for a healthy lifestyle, and in my case, awe.
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