Gunther von Hagens is best known for his controversial Body Worlds exhibitions, which he has showcased across the globe. In Body Worlds, von Hagens presents a series of human bodies, embalmed and preserved in plastic, dissected and staged in lifelike poses to show various structures and systems of human anatomy. The exhibitions have met with both curiosity and controversy from the public, something difficult to avoid with such a daring creation. The method and technique of preserving the biological tissue specimens that is demonstrated through Body Worlds was invented by Gunther von Hagens and is called plastination. He also founded the Institute of Plastination in Heidelberg in 1993.

Marco Sanges became fascinated by anatomy and intrigued by von Hagens and his concept of displaying the interior of human bodies for observation and interpretation. This summer the Olympic Park in Munich hosts an exhibition that celebrates the meeting between these two creative minds. Von Hagen by Sanges is a series of photographs portraying a narrative journey featuring Gunther von Hagens.

Inspired by Rembrandt’s famous painting The Anatomy Lesson, Sanges creates a surreal story about life and death, beginning with von Hagens at work dissecting a human corpse and following him through a process of self-exploration around his own mortality. Playing with the notion of filmic immortality and influenced by the sequential nature of cinema, Sanges uses his iconic photography to highlight the drama of life and confront human vulnerability and frailty while paying homage to the genius of Gunther von Hagens.

Von Hagen by Sanges, KÖRPERWELTEN (BODY WORLDS), 12 June – 5 October, Kleine Olympiahalle, Munich. For more information visit www.bodyworlds.com.

Credits
1. © Marco Sanges

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