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| Human bodies on display at Science Centre |
| 22 Oct 2009 |
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The Science Centre Singapore is showcasing the controversial anatomical exhibition known as Body Worlds: The Original and The Cycle of Life.
It's the first time that the exhibition will be shown in Asia under this theme.
Claire Huang takes a trip down to find out more.
From playing basketball to practising gymnastics to dancing.
The human bodies on display seem to come 'alive' as they engage in these activities.
And this is exactly what organisers of the exhibition hope to achieve.
Dr Angelina Whalley, Director of the Institute for Plastination explains.
"Most of our visitors have never been confronted with a corpse so we want to appeal (to) them, we want to catch their interest and that's absolutely mandatory to have specimens put in a very aesthetical and beautiful-looking way."
Body Worlds is the brainchild of Dr Gunther von Hagens, who created the process of plastination.
Plastination is a method to preserve real human bodies for medical studies.
While the exhibition has attracted some 28 million visitors in 50 cities, critics like religious groups have questioned the need to use real human bodies.
Dr Chew Tuan Chiong, Head of Science Centre Singapore says the aim of the displays is to provoke thinking.
"Well I think the exhibition is really going to be a journey of discovery for many people, whatever their initial beliefs and perceptions are. So we think besides being very educational about human body and anatomy, it's also going to allow people to understand fully what they're concerned about, worry about death, worry about diseases, or even worry about things like superstitions and culture and so on."
Some 200 authentic exhibits of human organs, bodies as well as animal specimens are on display.
This is to educate the public on the essence of human development and it's somewhat different from Body Worlds' previous exhibition here.
Dr Whalley elaborates.
"Body Worlds was in Singapore six years ago and since then it has developed quite a bit. This refers on one hand, to the specimens that are on display. They're much more advanced and they're much more beautiful looking. But also from the didactic view point, it comes along with a particular theme which we call 'A Cycle of Life', and it explains how our body develops over time."
Organisers say all exhibits come from the Institute for Plastination's body donation programme, which has more than 10,500 living and dead voluntary donors worldwide.
Singapore is the second site for the exhibition after its world premiere in London.
The exhibition opens tomorrow ( 23rd Oct) and is on until March 6 next year.
Organisers hope to attract some 200 thousand visitors.
Ticket prices range from 12 to 21 dollars.
The last Body Worlds exhibition here attracted some 160 thousand visitors.
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