Anatomy Art: Fascination beneath the Surface
Professor Gunther von Hagens
Körperwelten: Die Faszination des Echten
Caves de Cureghem, Brussels, 22 September 2001 until
24 February 2002
www.koerperwelten.com
Rating: ****
This exhibition comes to Belgium
having already been shown in seven
centres in four countries. With more
than six million visitors over five years, it is
the most successful exhibition ever. I saw it
in Berlin, where it was extended to a further
week with 24 hour opening and queues of
up to six hours to see more than 200 real but
plastinated human anatomical specimens.
Producer Gunther von Hagens is the
inventor of the plastination process in which
human tissues are impregnated with plastics
and silicone rubber to become permanent,
colourful, and odourless. His exhibition
shows organs, body parts, and whole human
bodies amid tasteful green foliage. The
dissections are virtuoso pieces with many
exploded multiplane views and openings
into body cavities. Every hand has a fine ten.
don dissection, every perineum shows well
tackled wedding tackle. There are superb
nerve dissections and vascular injections.
Bodies are sectioned into slices in new and
interesting planes giving unusual interior
views through doors, drawers, and panels.
Many separated organ systems are displayed
hanging in space. One exhibit shows fetal
development in stages with real dead babies
including deformed ones. There are patho.
logical examples of cardiovascular disease
and neoplasia. Medical devices and implants
are shown in position.
Professor von Hagens' aim is “to convey
awareness for health and a better under.
standing of bodily functions by offering
visible entertainment anatomy instead of
school anatomy.” This is “edutainment,” a
combination of education and entertain.
ment, designed to convey the vulnerability
and transience of our corporeality.
Some of the cadavers are in lifelike poses:
they are shown running, jumping, playing
chess, swimming, fencing, and, in the most
notorious yet splendid example, sitting on a
dissected horse—a magnificent stallion—
holding human brain in one hand and
equine brain in the other. This conclusively
proves that horses were behind us in the
queue when the brains were given out.
Coitus was not represented, but one
almost suspected it might be behind the
next bank of foliage. Despite deliberately
straddling the boundaries of taste and
decency, the exhibition claims honourable
descent from the traditions of public dissec.
tion and illustration by da Vinci, Vesalius,
and the great anatomists. A cadaver holding
his own skin as a “suit” resembles medieval
statues of St Bartholomew and nods in the
religious direction.
Intense controversy has surrounded the
exhibition. Religious groups have objected
to the use of human remains as artworks,
and Jewish groups have likened exhibits to
past atrocities. The merchandising is kitsch
but the literature is thorough. Medical
students everywhere will want the T shirts
and posters.
Questions remain. Although these bod.
ies were all “donated” for plastination, it was
disclosed that the chap on the horse had not
specifically consented while alive to becom.
ing a permanently dissected jockey without
his shorts. Many cadavers keep their faces
and are recognisable. Most are young men, a
few are old men, and just two are female,
both of whom were pregnant. Causes of
death are not generally evident—as perfec.
tion is sought in a specimen—and one was
left wondering how these individuals came
to be there. How did a pregnant young lady
come to die intact and yet have her body
donated for anatomical dissection? Clearly
this is lawful in Germany.
Although big business, the proceeds are
said to be devoted to research, the production
of new exhibitions, and the eventual creation
of a new “Museum of Man.”
Overall, this is an amazing experience.
The technical achievement is magnificent
and the dissections are astonishing and
informative. As art this is “School of Damien
Hirst” with real people instead of animals.
It's taxidermy for humans.
I think this exhibition succeeds. Indi.
vidual viewers can decide for themselves the
morality of combining art and anatomy for
the purposes of public education, but I liked
the overall macabre effect.
The exhibition in Brussels is, ironically,
being staged in a converted slaughterhouse
and meat market. It is due to come to the
United Kingdom in 2002. But after the
Alder Hey furore and the tortured debate in
Britain over the use and abuse of human
tissues, what will the great British public
make of meeting plasticised dead people
face to face?
Carl Gray, consultant histopathologist, Harrogate District Hospital
Email: carlgray@btinternet.com
studentBMJ 2001;09:399-442 November ISSN 0966-6494
