WEEK 4 | MEDICINE + TECHNOLOGY + ART | 🔬

Because of technological advances, our ideas on the human body have shifted and evolved. One of the innovative ways in which we are now able to observe the body is through preservation. Gunther von Hagens, a German anatomist, invented plastination techniques that allow the preservation of human bodies in order to be able to view anatomical structures with the naked eye, that is without necessarily having to use an optical instrument (Vesna). Since 1995, Gunther von Hagens’ exhibition has educated people about the amazing inner workings of the human body all while bringing awareness to the vulnerability of our inner systems (Body Worlds).

Teenagers observing displays at Bodies (Zucco)

Though I did not go to Gunther von Hagens’ exhibition, I did go to an exhibition that is similar. In 2016, I had the amazing opportunity to experience Bodies at Buena Park, CA for a school field trip. During this time, I was taking a physiology and anatomy class at my high school, so a trip to this exhibition allowed us to see the content we were learning outside the classroom. Similar to Gunther von Hagens’ mission, Bodies is an exhibition with the goal to give people a visual understanding of how the body works and how to take care of themselves (MacDonald). Displayed were preserved tissues, organs, and entire bones displayed in action poses (Orange County Register). I remember seeing actually preserved fetuses, hearts, lungs, and a real-life display of the nervous system. Seeing elements that are inside me felt so surreal because in class we only saw these inner workings and inner body items through textbooks, so to be able to see these things in person allowed me to solidify what I had been learning. 

I remember walking around with fellow classmates and we would comment to each other statements like, “Wow, that's inside me?” and “How is all this organized and functioning at the same time?!”. As Casini describes, there is an emotional experience when observing our inner workings (79).  His work influenced me the most because being able to explore one’s true nature and see aspects of ourselves that we are not able to see with our naked eye is an amazing experience. The idea of seeing the unseen but what is felt through visual pain diagrams to change the unseen form of pain to a visual is so intriguing and has grown my appreciation for the beauty of the body.

Fibromyalgia by Wong 

Citations

Body Worlds. “Human.” Body Worlds, Körperwelten, 9 Feb. 2022, bodyworlds.com/exhibitions/human/.  

Casini, Silvia. “Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as mirror and portrait: MRI configurations between science and the arts.” Configurations vol. 19,1 (2011): 73-99. doi:10.1353/con.2011.0008 

Look Who's Blogging. “Bodies the Exhibition/Titanic the Artifact Exhibition, Buena Park: Look Who's Traveling.” Youtube, Youtube, 13 July 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1STe1kAgs8.  

MacDonald, C. “Bodies - The Exhibition (Closing 2016).” Seecalifornia.com, See California, 2016, www.seecalifornia.com/themeparks/bodies-buena-park.html. 

Orange County Register. “'Bodies': All-Too-Real Inner Journey in Buena Park.” Orange County Register, Orange County Register, 5 Dec. 2013, 1:45 p.m.,www.ocregister.com/2013/12/05/bodies-all-too-real-inner-journey-in-buena-park/.   

Vesna, Victoria. "Medicine and Art: Part 1." Lecture. 25 Oct. 2012,  UCLA, Los Angeles, California. Class lecture. 

Wong, Virgil. “Art: ‘Medicine Helps Us Live Longer Lives. Art Is about Why We Live.’” Virgil Wong, 3 Apr. 2022, www.virgilwong.com/art/. 

Zucco, Debbie. “Titanic and 'Bodies' Exhibits Will Stay, for a Little Longer, in Buena Park.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2016, www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/tn-wknd-et-0117-skeleton-exhibit-20160117-story.html.