Share thisGunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS 3 Anatomical Exhibition Opens Feb. 25
HOUSTON -- (February 3, 2006) --
The Houston Museum of Natural Science, in partnership with Baylor College of Medicine and The Lester and Sue Smith Foundation, announces the debut of Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS 3: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies, including never-before seen whole-body plastinates, at the Museum opening Feb. 25 through Sept. 4, 2006.
Created by Dr. Gunther von Hagens, BODY WORLDS 3 is the culmination of the German scientist and physician's 30-year career in anatomy. Like its predecessors, BODY WORLDS 3 presents more than 200 authentic specimens, including organs and whole body specimens, that have undergone Plastination--von Hagens' groundbreaking method of halting decomposition and preserving the body after death for medical study, which he invented in 1977. But von Hagens says the Houston exhibit captures the evolution and refinement of his invention to its outer limits.
During Plastination, all bodily fluids and soluble fats are replaced with reactive resins and elastomers such as silicon rubber and epoxy, through vacuum-forced impregnation. After gas, heat, or light curing, the specimens assume rigidity and permanence. "The purpose of Plastination from its very inception was a scientific one, to educate medical students. But the interest that laypeople had in the plastinated specimens inspired me to think of creating public exhibitions, which was followed by the realization that I had to offer a heightened sense of aesthetics, to avoid shocking the public and to capture their imagination," said von Hagens.
The striking whole-body plastinates in BODY WORLDS 3--people who in their lifetime donated their bodies for Plastination for the express purpose of educating future generations about health--allow viewers to see inside the staggeringly complex and completely interconnected network of muscles, tendons and blood vessels that make up our bodies. Many of the whole-body plastinates in BODY WORLDS 3 will be on display for the first time.
"Baylor College of Medicine is very pleased to have the opportunity to join with the Houston Museum of Natural Science and The Lester and Sue Smith Foundation to bring this wonderful, educational exhibition to the Houston community," said Dr. Peter G. Traber, president and CEO of Baylor College of Medicine. "This provides us an opportunity to work with the Houston Museum of Natural Science to enhance their outstanding educational programs and enrich people's understanding of the human body."
"Visitors to BODY WORLDS 3 will encounter both the resilience and fragility of the human body. They will discover how a body works when it is healthy and how it breaks down when it is not," said Joel A. Bartsch, president of the Houston Museum of Natural Science. "The aesthetic, accessible displays invite contemplation, study and reflection of the power and vulnerability of the human body by everyone."
"BODY WORLDS 3 is a collaboration, a joint quest towards enlightenment between donor, anatomist and visitor," said Dr. von Hagens. Nearly 18 million visitors in 32 cities across Asia, Europe, and North America have engaged in the pact since its debut in Japan in 1996, and more than 6500 donors including 142 Americans have bequeathed their bodies to von Hagens' Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, Germany.
Medical experts from the Baylor College of Medicine will provide expert consultation, docent training and educational programming support in collaboration with the Museum for the duration of the BODY WORLDS 3 exhibit.
Tickets for entrance into the exhibit between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. are $22 for adults; $15 for children (3-11), seniors (62+) and students with a valid college ID; and $14 for groups of 20 or more. Tickets for entrance into the exhibit between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. are $15 for adults; $13 for children (3-11), seniors (62+) and students with a valid college ID; and $13 for groups of 20 or more. For tickets, or more information, visit www.hmns.org or call 713-639-4629. Information is available in Spanish at (713) 639-4603.
Tickets to BODY WORLDS 3 also include free admission to the special exhibition The Royal Tombs of Ur: Ancient Treasures from Modern Iraq and the Museum's permanent exhibit halls.
For more information about the exhibit, Plastination or body donation, visit www.bodyworlds.com.
The Houston Museum of Natural Science--one of the nation's most heavily attended museums--is a centerpiece of the Houston Museum District. With four floors of permanent exhibit halls, and the Wortham IMAX® Theatre, Cockrell Butterfly Center, Burke Baker Planetarium and George Observatory and as host to world-class and ever-changing touring exhibitions, the Houston Museum has something to delight every age group. With such diverse and extraordinary offerings, a trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, located at One Hermann Circle Drive in the heart of the Museum District, is always an adventure. The Houston Museum of Natural Science is located in the northwest corner of Hermann Park at One Hermann Circle Drive at the intersection of San Jacinto and Hermann.
Photo: The Horse and Rider, included in BODY WORLDS 3. © Institute for Plastination.
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