Anatomy/Academy

Philadelphia has been a center for art and science since the eighteenth century. Its art and medical schools have been engines of innovation and the expansion of knowledge for nearly three centuries. Team curated by PAFA’s curators of historical, modern, and contemporary art, Anatomy/Academy will be the first exhibition to focus on how Philadelphia’s dynamic art and science communities, and in particular the curriculum of the Pennsylvania Academy, fostered knowledge of the human body. Rather than dwell in separate realms these communities have often collaborated on and shared discoveries, transformed the attitudes of the public towards mental and physical health, and challenged conceptions about beauty. Philadelphia’s role in advancing knowledge of the body has been a harrowing and fascinating saga, from triage during the revolutionary war through current debates over stem cell research. Artists, often at PAFA, have been active participants in historical moments, helping to shape the public view of the meaning of the body and its place in the broader world.