Flesh and Bones: The Art of Anatomy

ArtScience Museum is marking its 15th anniversary by expanding its reach and role in the international cultural landscape through a new landmark exhibition. Opening on 21 March, Flesh and Bones: The Art of Anatomy is ArtScience Museum’s first collaboration with the Getty in Los Angeles, one of the world’s leading art centres.

Drawing on the historic collections of the Getty and new research developed by ArtScience Museum, Flesh and Bones offers a powerful encounter with the human body, tracing how it has been studied, imagined, and understood across cultures and time, and how the intertwined practices of art and science have shaped our understanding of anatomy from the 16th century to today.

While the first edition of Flesh and Bones was presented at the Getty Center in 2022 and produced by the Getty Research Institute, ArtScience Museum has re-envisioned and expanded the exhibition to feature contemporary artworks, scientific specimens and Asian perspectives—drawing from medical traditions, philosophies and artistic practices grounded in different cultures, from Traditional Chinese Medicine to Ayurveda.

Visitors can look forward to seeing over 160 artefacts and artworks ranging from striking life‑sized illustrations and finely detailed woodcut prints to rare and delicate books from the Getty’s collection, alongside anatomical atlases, medical manuscripts, and 33 dramatic artworks by both renowned and emerging artists from around the world. Featured artists include Chiharu Shiota (Japan), Bill Viola (USA), Barbara Hammer (USA), Marshmallow Laser Feast (UK), ORLAN (France), Stelarc (Australia), Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook, Pinaree Sanpitak, Natee Utarit from Thailand, and Yanyun Chen, Kray Chen, Mari Katayama, Amanda Heng and Woong Soak Teng from Singapore.

In addition, Flesh and Bones includes a collection of scientific specimens of the human body on loan from the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine Anatomy Department at Nanyang Technological University and von Hagens Plastination institute. Used for medical study and surgical training, these plastinated specimens offer visitors a rare opportunity to encounter human anatomy through a cultural and scientific lens. The exhibition also has an extensive section on Traditional Chinese Medicine practices, showcasing over 40 items from Singapore College of Traditional Chinese Medicine—one of the oldest, largest, and most respected institutions of its kind in Southeast Asia.