‘Body Worlds: Animal Inside Out’ in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

The exhibition “Body Worlds: Animal Inside Out - Anatomy of Real Animals,” the world's most comprehensive animal anatomy exhibition, is open to visitors at the HUPALUPA Expo at Metropol Istanbul Mall.

Created by anatomist Gunther von Hagens and curator Angelina Whalley, the show allows for the study of the biology, zoology and physiology of a variety of animals, both large and small, and also aims to offer a deeper understanding of the anatomy and diversity of animals.

While the exhibition presents real animal species and their various limbs in a comparative manner, it offers visitors the opportunity to see the internal structure of the animals. It also reveals the surprising differences between humans and animals and offers the opportunity to learn how much we have in common.

Among the standout giants of the exhibition, the most remarkable piece is "Samba," a 6-meter-long and 3.50-meter-tall elephant, the largest creature ever subjected to plastination.

In addition to exotic animals from the savannah, forest and ocean, the exhibition provides fascinating insights into the inner workings of local and domestic animals.

The scientific consultancy of the exhibition in Türkiye is carried out by Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine.

HUPALUPA Expo Executive Board member Merve Timurlenk Şengül said that it is the most visited exhibition in the world with more than 50 million visitors around the world.

“We are proud to host the exhibition of real animals in Istanbul. This exhibition was created with the plastination technique that permanently preserves human and animal bodies. We can host everyone who is interested in anatomy, science and art here," she said.

The exhibition, covering an area of 1,200 square meters, includes more than 100 animal figures, from an elephant to a pregnant goat and from a 6-meter-long giraffe to a shark holding its food in its mouth. All the works in the exhibition were created by platinating creatures that died naturally.

Stating that there is very striking information for students, adults and children in the show, Şengül said, “The exhibition arrived here from Germany with nine big trucks. In total, there are more than 100 animal figures in the exhibition, as well as a human body. We have a gorilla that weighs more than 200 kilos. We have a giant elephant weighing 3.2 tons, which is the largest plastinate in the world. We have a pregnant goat. This exhibition in Türkiye is the second stop in the world after Germany. All the works here are original and made with great effort. There is more than 10 years of effort.”

Whalley, the curator of the exhibition, stated that the work with Hagens generally focuses on human anatomy, adding that Body Worlds, an event dedicated to providing education on human anatomy, functions and health, which was also exhibited in Istanbul in 2010, was attended by more than 55 million people worldwide.

Whalley noted that Animal Inside Out was designed after visitors of the Body Worlds exhibition had liked the animal works included in the exhibitions.

“My goal is to inform children, adults, those who are interested in science and people with medical expertise, to help them better understand how fragile nature is and how similar we humans are to animals,” she added.

Associate Professor Mehmet Üzel, a faculty member at the Department of Anatomy of Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, stated that the exhibition, which includes animal samples created by the plastination method discovered by Hagens, provides a nice informative environment and said, "The plastination method is used in medicine, veterinary medicine, biology. It is a method used in zoology education and offers people the opportunity to conduct education and research on organic samples safely. All the samples in the exhibition are prepared with various plastination and plastination-like techniques.”

Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Veterinary Medicine member Ozan Gündemir noted that horse, cattle, sheep, cat, dog and bird cadavers are used in veterinary anatomy practices and that one of the most important points is the preparation and storage of cadavers.

Stating that the most up-to-date technique in this field is plastination, Gündemir said, “In this exhibition, there are many animal cadavers prepared using the plastination technique. But more importantly, these cadavers were prepared with an artistic expression language, and each of them is a visual work of art.”