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The Daily Utah Chronicle

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Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor, send us an op-ed pitch or check out our open positions for the chance to be published by the Daily Utah Chronicle.
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Worlds apart: Body Worlds 3 comes to SLC

By Erik Lopez, Red Pulse Contributor

Did you know that you eat 1,100 pounds of food per year? That the skin secretes antibacterial substances to combat the daily accumulation of mold, bacteria and spores which come to rest on it? Or that the surface area of the lungs is roughly the same size as a tennis court? In The Leonardo’s first major exhibit of this year8212;Body Worlds 3 and the Story of the Heart8212;anatomy comes alive as dead bodies are rejuvenated for science. This rejuvenation process, called plastination, was invented by Dr. Gunther von Hagens and allows the exhibit’s creators, von Hagens and Dr. Angelina Whalley, to revitalize the dead subjects and inject new life into them as they are posed to show the body as it would appear without skin, doing regular day-to-day activities.

The idea for the show started a year and a half ago when exhibits and programs manager Alex Hessey met von Hagens and Whalley. According to Lisa James, the spokeswoman for the show, after that meeting everyone at The Leonardo fell in love with the idea of bringing this large-scale production to Salt Lake City.

“This is such a great representation of the bringing together of science, art and technology with the beautiful aesthetic presentation (as well as) the incredible nutrition science and health component,” said James.

The Leonardo took the steps of setting up a community advisory committee to see if there were any reservations concerning how the show would be received in Salt Lake City. The committee was made up of health care, education and community leaders. After learning more about the exhibit and what it had to offer, the committee unanimously praised and welcomed Body Worlds 3.

“The two primary Body Worlds’ messages, health and education, resonate so strongly with the people here,” said James, concerning the eager anticipation of the exhibit.

Besides showcasing and exposing the human experience we take for granted in using our bodies every day, Body Worlds 3 comes in tandem with another great event: the Monet to Picasso exhibit at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. With Body Worlds 3, Salt Lake City looks like it is ready to take on bigger and better events.

“We are so ready for world-class events (in Salt Lake City)…we saw that with the Olympics and we have shown that we are a sophisticated audience that is hungry for cultural events,” said James.

The Leonardo partnered with University Healthcare to bring in Body Worlds 3. University Health Care did more than just pump money into the exhibit and get their name on the bill, however. They collaborated in expanding the experience with on-site help in answering questions from the public to a lecture series that will build on what is taught by the show. Body Worlds 3 focuses not only how the human body interacts with the world around it but also how it engages with itself, with a special emphasis on the heart. Previous Body Worlds exhibits concentrated on other vital organs8212;the brain, for instance, in Body Worlds 2.

“The reason why this exhibit is so powerful and so compelling is because it is so personal. Everyone has a body and we all deal with health issues, life, death, disease, addiction and so many different issues that this exhibit speaks to and in a way you can’t have in a textbook or classroom,” said James.

Other events that will round out the Body Worlds 3 experience include a dance, theater and sound installation as well as hands-on demonstrations of concepts learned in the exhibit.

“People come out of this exhibit and they aren’t done, they have just started on this journey,” said James.

To learn more about Body Worlds 3, the people involved and other upcoming exhibits, check out theleonardo.org. Tickets are on sale now from $16 to $22 online or at the box office.

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