BODY WORLDS – the world's most visited exhibition returns to Gdańsk after almost 5 years with a new display – VITAL! The exhibition will be open to visitors from 15 December 2023 to 11 March 2024, at Amberexpo, in Hall A, at ul. Żaglowa 11. The exhibition, created by the renowned anatomist and inventor of plastination Dr Gunther von Hagens, stands out clearly in history, having become the most visited exhibition of all time with a total of over 50 million visitors! It has been captivating audiences for over a quarter of a century, arousing enormous emotion and interest wherever it appears.
In 2019, the exhibition BODY WORLDS from the THE CYCLE OF LIFE – series was presented in Gdańsk. Visitors then had the opportunity to learn about the changes taking place in the human body – from conception, through infancy, childhood, maturity, to the autumn of life. This year, viewers will see the exhibition BODY WORLDS from the VITAL, which inspires living with vitality and full strength. It enables visitors to explore human anatomy, physiology and health. The exhibition features over 160 genuine human body specimens, showing the potential of the human body in motion, its anatomical form and the complexity of its functions. We will see exactly how the human body works when it is healthy, and learn ways to combat life-threatening diseases. The exhibition inspires people of all ages to look after themselves and their condition. To this end, healthy and diseased organs are shown side by side, allowing visitors to see how lifestyle affects the body – for example, how smoking affects the lungs, and how sugar, poor fats or salt accelerate ageing processes, significantly increasing the risk of many chronic diseases.
What is it about BODY WORLDS that captivates and resonates with so many millions of people from different cultures and religions, of different ages and professions? Curator Dr Angelina Whalley, who is responsible for the content, design and conceptual planning of the exhibition, states that the key to the success of BODY WORLDS is that the exhibition profoundly changes how we see ourselves: "Visitors looking at another human body discover their own in a completely new way. The exhibition presents the body not only as the foundation of our physical existence, but also as a mirror of our own lifestyle. Whatever we do or don't do, what we eat, how and whether we exercise – everything has a physical effect on us, both positive and negative". The exhibition evokes these associations and presents the uniqueness of human life. The knowledge gained at the exhibition sharpens the sense of one's own vulnerability and the value of one's own health, while also teaching how to take better care of oneself, especially now, in this difficult period for us all.
Unprecedented success BODY WORLDS is based on the groundbreaking plastination process of Dr Gunther von Hagens – a method of preserving anatomical tissue invented by the physician and anatomist in 1977 at the University of Heidelberg. Perfecting this technology took him many years. Plastination was originally intended solely for the scientific community and advanced education. However, when Dr von Hagens first presented his plastinates to the public at the National Museum of Emerging Science in Tokyo in 1995, he could not have predicted the media buzz and revolution his invention would spark: "I did not appreciate how great a success this would be" – he said Dr von Hagens. Since then Dr von Hagens he has devoted his time to educating the public on the subject of the human body. For his work, he has received numerous accolades from renowned institutions, including a lifetime achievement award – for a significant contribution to the public understanding of science from ASTC (Association of Science and Technology Centres), which brings together over 650 scientific institutions.
Gunther von Hagens, as an anatomist, inventor, teacher and health advocate, created aesthetic plastinates of the whole organism. Thanks to them, we have the opportunity to gain deep insight into the fascinating subject of the body. Through plastination, a body can, after death, be transformed into an extraordinary anatomical specimen, giving viewers the chance to see the human body as they never have before. All the specimens featured in the exhibition are genuine. The bodies come from donors who, during their lifetime, agreed to donate them to the Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg. Since the 1980s, the institute has run a dedicated body donor programme for plastination purposes.
The exhibition places great emphasis on education, encouraging primary school, secondary school and university students to translate textbook knowledge into practical anatomy learning and to gain knowledge "first-hand". The educational value of the project has been very highly rated by many scientific institutions worldwide, gaining enormous popularity on every continent. The plastination method and the creation of the BODY WORLDS exhibition have made anatomical knowledge, once reserved solely for doctors and medical staff, now accessible to everyone.
The worldwide success of BODY WORLDS is also confirmed by recognition from stars of global stature. Among the delighted audience have been Demi Moore, Andre Agassi, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Gary Oldman, Steffi Graf, Dustin Hoffman, Tony Hawk and Nicole Kidman. It is also at the BODY WORLDS exhibition that one of the key scenes takes place in the film about the adventures of British secret agent James Bond – Casino Royale!
Tickets and more information at: www.bodyworlds.pl