Time is running out to see these two great events — catch 'em both before they hit the road.
Plastination sounds like a breakthrough boob-enhancement surgery or some sort of science fiction torture tactic, but it’s actually the secret behind the world’s most famous traveling exhibit, Body Worlds. (Plastination is a scientific process that halts decomposition and “cures” the bodies of those who have dedicated themselves to scientific research and education — and post mortem fame). The latest installment in the series, Body Worlds and the Story of the Heart, makes its Florida debut at MOSI this month in all its gory glory. More than 200 human specimens are displayed, taking viewers on a journey through the cardiovascular system and offering insight into human health and disease. The locomotive, reproductive, nervous and digestive systems are each separated into their own sections, with plastinates posed in athletic positions so viewers can see which muscle groups are used in every movement. The grand finale focuses on the heart and how our most miraculous muscle sustains life. Through June 28, Museum of Science and Industry, Tampa, $19.95-$25.95 (includes a standard length IMAX film; reduced after hours admission. (Franki Weddington)
In the hands of a great artist, even the most quotidian object can be transformed into something transcendent. Take the humble book, whose conventions we know only too well. The Salvador Dali Museum presentss visualKultur.cat, an exhibition devoted to books in strikingly unusual form — from surreal contributions by 20th century masters Marcel Duchamp, Antoni Tàpies, Joan Miró, and Dalí to contemporary examples like Jaume Plensa’s accordion-style tome of glass panels or Ramon Prat’s On Barcelona (2005), a volume of color pictures that even includes a pop-out camera. Two venues, the museum and USF St. Pete’s Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, share hosting duties for visualKulture.cat, which showcases artists’ books and graphics by artists native to Catalonia, the Spanish region where Dalí was born. Through June 14, Salvador Dalí Museum, St. Petersburg, $15 adults/$13.50 seniors/$10 students, 727-823-3767, salvadordalimuseum.org, and the Nelson Poynter Library, Seventh Avenue S. at Third Street S., St. Petersburg, free admission, 727-873-4123, nelson.usf.edu. (Megan Voeller)
This article appears in May 27 – Jun 2, 2009.