'Body Worlds: The Anatomy of Happiness'
If you’ve ever wondered what’s really going on beneath the surface, this confronting exhibition uses real preserved human bodies to explore anatomy and emotion.
Overview
If you consider yourself even a little squeamish, maybe it's best to give this one a miss. For everyone else — or the bravely curious — Body Worlds: The Anatomy of Happiness is a compelling exploration of the human body and what it means to live a physically and emotionally healthy life. Touching down in Melbourne after 140,000 visitors experienced the show in Brisbane and Perth, this one-of-a-kind experience isn't for the faint-hearted.
Developed by Dr Gunther von Hagens, an internationally renowned anatomist, Body Worlds relies on plastination, a highly effective method for preserving biological tissue invented by the good doctor back in the 1970s. Forming the basis for the exhibition — first presented in Tokyo in 1995 — all the displays that make up the show are, or were, real human specimens. Now, you can really see what goes on inside by heading to The District Docklands from Friday, March 28–Sunday, July 26.
Curated by physician and designer Dr Angelina Whalley, Body Worlds: The Anatomy of Happiness draws a science-backed link between our physical bodies and how emotions such as joy, love, fear and stress visibly manifest within us. Illustrating the complexity and resilience of the human form, this exhibition explores diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's through plastinates, brain scans and multimedia presentations.
Meanwhile, side-by-side displays of healthy and diseased organs reveal the profound impact of lifestyle and emotional wellbeing. "Through plastination, we're able to present the human body in a memorable and beautiful way so that people can learn about anatomy, disease and mental health," says Dr Whalley. "What it uncovers is truly fascinating, and we've seen visitors around the world leave with a new motivation to live more consciously."
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