My Mother insists that one of my first words was “why”. Personally I think it was “chocolate”, but we’ll just let her have her memories. I love learning about new things, and personally feel like the best way to learn and understand something is to see it with your own eyes. One of the most educational and unique learning experiences I’ve ever had was  Gunther von Hagens’ Bodyworlds exhibit. I saw my first exhibition in San Francisco, CA and was later able to view different installment in Philadelphia, PA.

We live in our bodies every single day, but never have we seen them quite like this.  The exhibitions, created with health education in mind, use a very unique process called plastination to preserve donated bodies.  The bodies are then often posed or presented  in a “layer by layer” form to highlight different organs or systems of the body.  Originally an idea conceived by an anatomy assistant who got the inspiration from watching a deli slicer cutting a ham, (ewww, right???) Body Worlds is so unique and amazing that you truly have to see it to believe it.

From the minute you enter the exhibit, you are completely intriqued by what you see.  After a few minutes of getting over the possible “ick” factor  of being surrounded by once-living, now plastinized human beings, you are truly able to see the bigger picture and instantly gain a whole new appreciation for your own body and it’s many wonders.

One of the controversial, yet amazing exhibitions is showing exclusively at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA, beginning October 17th. It is a very limited engagement and it is highly recommended that you purchase your tickets early to make sure you get an opportunity to experience it for yourself.  Ticket surcharge fees are waived if  you  purchase tickets before August 20th.

…maybe I’ll see you there!

Here is a peek at some of Gunther von Hagen’s inspired work.