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REAL BODIES on DISPLAY NOW till APRIL 11, 2021

A powerful exhibition explores life by displaying real, perfectly preserved human bodies and hundreds of anatomical specimens. More than a simple display of human specimens, REAL BODIES will connect audiences to a deeper sense of what it means to be alive.

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The exhibition pushes boundaries while seamlessly blending art, science, and emotion as a museum of the self. Exploring these systems within the body, REAL BODIES reveals deep synergy between breathing, hunger, the rhythm of the heart, love, motion, thought and medicine that makes each person unique.

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New! REAL BODIES has added new content designed specifically to help the public understand the complex and cascading effect the virus has on the systems of the body. Developed in consultation with a medical advisor with expertise in emerging infectious disease preparedness and response, the new content presents a multi-faceted—yet easily understood—picture of COVID-19 from an anatomical perspective.

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Key Features

• Anatomical, cultural, and emotional narratives transform the way we view the human body

• Digs deeper into the beauty of the body, mind, and soul than any other exhibition of its kind

• Explore the entire human experience from the first breath to the last with dramatic, compelling, and emotionally moving immersive galleries

• Unique perspectives on human anatomy and its importance to world cultures

• Presents the human body’s complex systems through a series of approachable art gallery displays

• Reveals the synergy between breathing, hunger, the rhythm of the heart, love, motion, thought, and medicine that makes each person unique

• Presents the complex and cascading effects that the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has on human health.

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REAL BODIES takes visitors on a journey asking them to explore who they are, where they come from and what they choose to do with the life and body they have been given.

Click here for more information about our safety guidelines and cleanliness procedures.

 

WHAT YOU WILL EXPERIENCE AT REAL BODIES:

• View dramatic and moving displays that take complex anatomical systems and present them in an approachable fashion

• Examine real human bodies and anatomical specimens up close in a way that helps you to get to know your own body

• Discover the fascinating ways that the human body has been viewed across history and culture

• Come away with a deeper understanding of how various anatomical systems work together to comprise the human experience

• Learn about human biology, anatomy, medicine, psychology, cultural studies, and philosophy

• Feel an emotional and spiritual connection to your own body, as well as humanity as a species, by getting an inside view of the human anatomy that few have experienced

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HOW THE SPECIMENS ARE PRESERVED:

Each of the specimens featured in REAL BODIES has been carefully and respectfully preserved by a team of experts using a scientific method known as polymer preservation, or plastination. This revolutionary process uses liquid silicon rubber to prevent the natural process of decaying, and follows several steps:

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• The specimen is dissected to feature specific systems and anatomical structures.

• The dissection is immersed in acetone to extract all bodily fluids.

• After dehydration, the specimen is placed in a silicone polymer bath and sealed within a vacuum chamber.

• Under vacuum, the acetone is displaced by the polymer, which then penetrates the specimen to the deepest cellular level.

• When the silicone polymer hardens, the permanently preserved specimen, structures intact, is ready for examination and study.