|
Art or science?
BodyWorlds was originally developed as 'artistic' displays of corpses and toured Europe and Asia for a decade.
Von Hagens received a panning from many art critics in the UK when he exhibited for the first time in London in 2002. Shortly after this, and possibly seeing the success his rival Premier was having with its more science-focused show, Dr von Hagens re-branded his work as 'educational' and presented it as the 'original' real corpse science exhibition under the Body Worlds brand.
The Body Worlds exhibitions, which feature preserved human bodies and body parts, have been seen by nearly 25 million visitors across the world. First seen in Japan in 1995, the exhibitions are now among the most popular attractions at American science and natural history museums, and have taken an estimated £250 million in revenue.
Body Worlds first visited London in 2002 and 850,000 people attended.
|
|
