There are few experiences that make you stop and marvel at the miracle of life. ‘Body Worlds: The Anatomy of Happiness’ does just that.
Now open at the Northbridge Centre on Beaufort Street in Perth, the exhibition brings Perth audiences face-to-face with the real human body in a way that is both scientific and moving.
Walking through the gallery, you will realise this is no ordinary display. The exhibition showcases real human specimens preserved through a technique called plastination (a process invented by Dr Gunther von Hagens that replaces body fluids with polymers, keeping organs and tissues perfectly intact for study).
Seeing actual lungs, livers, hearts, and even the development of a five-week-old foetus is an eye-opening experience. Standing before theses preserved bodies, you can’t help but think about your own health and the choices that shape it. The blackened lungs of a smoker tell their own story, while the comparison between healthy and diseased organs remind you how precious and fragile life is.
“I was wowed,” one visitor said. “It made me appreciate living and living healthy, doing things the right way. I saw bad lungs, the liver, the ovary of a healthy woman and one with cancer; and I thought, God is wonderful.”
More than just an anatomical showcase, ‘The Anatomy of Happiness’ explores how our emotions and lifestyle choices affect our physical and mental wellbeing. Visitors learn how joy, stress, love, and fear can be traced in the body’s very structure; how caring for the mind is just as important as caring for the body.
Dr Angelina Whalley, who curated the exhibition, said plastination helps people see anatomy and disease in a new way.
“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,” she said. “What it uncovers is truly fascinating – and we’ve seen visitors around the world leave with a new motivation to live more consciously.”
Among the highlights are full-body plastinates showing the body in motion, interactive mirrors that let you locate your own organs, and a photo series called ‘100 Years of Life’ celebrating longevity and healthy ageing. Visitors can also explore how brain diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s affect the body, or test their posture at the ‘Save Your Spine’ display.
Every specimen in ‘Body Worlds’ was donated voluntarily for the purpose of public education. To date, more than 23,000 people worldwide, including Australians, have bequeathed their bodies to the Institute for Plastination.
Tickets to the Perth season start from $32 for adults and $18 for children, with various session times available.
