Science & Technology, 2nd prize
Marc Steinmetz
+49 photo for Focus
+49 photo for Focus
01 January, 1997
Plastinated slices of the brain of someone who died from a severe hemorrhage are cured by ultraviolet light. German anatomist Professor Gunther von Hagens has developed a method of preserving human bodies or parts of them which he calls 'plastination'.
Initially designed to create detailed anatomical preparations for educational and medical purposes, the products of plastination are now also exhibited in highly controversial shows. At the private institute which he founded to be free from restrictions, it takes Von Hagens and his team up to 800 hours to prepare a whole body by replacing all water and fat with silicone or other polymers. The corpses are obtained through the institute's own body donation program.
Through our education programs, the World Press Photo Foundation encourages diverse accounts of the world that present stories with different perspectives.
Our exhibitions showcase stories that make people stop, feel, think and act to a worldwide audience.
Our annual contest recognizes and rewards the best in photojournalism and documentary photography.