It would be fair to say that the majority of people don’t know how their bodies work, what’s going on inside them, or how complex they actually are. For the people that are curious about their body and want an intimate look at our human anatomy, they can check out BODIES… The Exhibition at the MTS Centre Exhibition Hall located at 311 Portage Avenue across from the MTS Centre.
Making its Winnipeg debut on September 17, the world-renowned exhibition showcases real human specimens showing the complexity of the body’s organs, bones, blood vessels, muscles, and more, that have been meticulously dissected and preserved through a process called plastination.
It can be intimidating standing in front of a real dead human that has been sliced open and taken apart, but one becomes fascinated with how complex and intricate our bodies really are. Many of the bodies showcased are positioned into athletic poses, displayed playing basketball, conducting music, and running to show how our body functions during activities.
On display on the first floor are organs that show the damage that can be caused to the body during a lifetime. The lungs of a smoker and that of a healthy person are displayed beside one another, separated only by a large plexiglass box containing pack of cigarettes. Exhibition goers are encouraged to leave their cigarettes behind and quit smoking.
In a back room on the second floor that warns attendees that what they are about to see may be found disturbing is the fetal development portion of the exhibition where there are numerous specimens of real fetuses in various stages of development. BODIES… The Exhibition isn’t for the squeamish.
Interesting were the little tidbits of information on the walls throughout the exhibition. Facts like our bodies have 100,000 miles of blood vessels and that people are born with an innate preference for sweet or salty. Also interesting is the Touch Booth on the second floor where people are encouraged to hold a real brain and heart.
There were many other fascinated attendees including what appeared to be a class on a fieldtrip. I expected them to make immature comments like how sick everything was, but they were very respectful and seemed genuinely interested. Security at the MTS Centre Exhibition Hall estimates 1000 spectators come to the exhibition each day on the weekends and several hundred on weekdays.
Walking around are helpful medical students in white lab coats who are more than willing to answer questions. I asked if everything was real and discovered everything was except the eyes.
It takes about two hours to thoroughly see everything in the large gallery and even though I wouldn’t go see BODIES… The Exhibition again, everyone should see it at least once. So go check it out before it’s gone, the exhibition ends January 9 and is open from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are available at the door or on www.ticketmaster.ca and are $19.95 for an adult on weekdays and $23.95 on weekends. Children, students, and seniors get discounted rates and an audio tour that gives further information is $4.95.
BODIES… The Exhibition proved to be worth the visit, is colorful, well displayed, educational, inspiring, and tasteful. Things to note, cell phones must be turned off, no picture taking, gum, or backpacks are allowed in the gallery.
* Sources of photos in order of appearance.
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