After a week of busy media and VIP events, our Animal Inside Out exhibition bared all to the public for its Easter opening yesterday on Good Friday.
The exhibition, which is adapted from Gunther von Hagens' famous Body Worlds plastinated shows, is set to flex its momentous muscles and open hearts throughout the coming summer months. As well as being an illuminating anatomical journey, it really is something to behold. At times the exhibits appear more like artworks than plastinated animals with exposed inner organs. The gallery has been beautifully designed and lit. There's no doubt it will be big success.
Actress Miranda Richardson contemplates the enormous 4-tonne, plastinated elephant at our recent Animal Inside Out celebrity event.
Among the VIPs who attended the exhibition's recent celebrity launch were Miranda Richardson, Bill Wyman, Celia Sawyer, Will Self, and John Humphrys. Enjoy some of the photos from the night and some of the other stars of the show.
Musician Bill Wyman looks into the eyes of the goat
Four Rooms dealer Celia Sawyer gets interior design tips from the plastinated cuttlefish
For the launch events, Dr Angelina Whalley from the Insitute for Plastination and co-founder of Body Worlds was at hand to answer questions. I asked her if there was an animal they hadn't yet plastinated but would like to. She told me: 'It's Gunther's dream to plastinate a blue whale. But the elephant was such an enormous challenge, and so costly, I am not wishing for that to come true too quickly'.
Writer Will Self looks a stripped horse head in the mouth.. the horse's head is cut into three sections to show it's inner workings.
The exhibition focuses on six different internal anatomical systems: the muscular, blood, skeletal, digestive, nervous, and reproductive. From tiny chicks to towering giraffes, it features nearly 100 plastinated animals.
If you are considering visiting with children, have a look at the exhibition website and highlghts slideshow to see what's inside.
Buy tickets for Animal Inside Out
Find out more about the exhibition and plastination
Read the news story about the exhibition and the plastination of the elephant
More celebrity photos at Animal Inside Out's launch event. Select images to enlarge them
Actress Olivia Grant
Presenter John Humphrys
Fashion designer Pam Hogg
Journalist Kate Adie
Actor Rafe Spall
