SMELLORIES
In the brain, memory, emotion and smell
are strongly intertwined. Therefore a smell can trigger memories that you
wouldn’t remember otherwise.
To explore this phenomenon, I created an immersive audio installation where participants, blindfolded, are listening to stories accompanied
by the scent of perfume.
Within the installation, three distinct fragrances from my personal collection waft through the air. As I inhale each scent, vivid memories come to mind of moments when I wore each perfume; the people I used to hang out with and the places I used to go. Additionally, I interviewed individuals who once wore the same perfumes, inviting them to recount their own memories associated with the scents — a first date, a Christmas gift, or perhaps an unforgettable evening at a local bar.
Through my installation, I offer viewers a journey into the memories of both myself and the interviewees, engaging their auditory and olfactory senses while temporarily blocking out the overpowering sense of sight through blindfolding. The listening experience and smelling experience are interlinked; as the perfume gradually dissipates, so too does the accompanying sound, until a fresh spray reactivates and the sound comes back with the same strength as the scent.
2019
by the scent of perfume.
Within the installation, three distinct fragrances from my personal collection waft through the air. As I inhale each scent, vivid memories come to mind of moments when I wore each perfume; the people I used to hang out with and the places I used to go. Additionally, I interviewed individuals who once wore the same perfumes, inviting them to recount their own memories associated with the scents — a first date, a Christmas gift, or perhaps an unforgettable evening at a local bar.
Through my installation, I offer viewers a journey into the memories of both myself and the interviewees, engaging their auditory and olfactory senses while temporarily blocking out the overpowering sense of sight through blindfolding. The listening experience and smelling experience are interlinked; as the perfume gradually dissipates, so too does the accompanying sound, until a fresh spray reactivates and the sound comes back with the same strength as the scent.
2019
