Olfactory Landscapes, 2017
Oyster / Mystere de Rochas / Fear sweat / Gunpowder / Roast Beef
Scent dispenser / glass / wood / rubber / brass
in collaboration with Geurlab
The French author Marcel Proust already knew long ago that scents can bring back strong memories. The most famous example of this
phenomenon is the scene in Proust’s book A la Recherche du Temps Perdu, in which the scent of a madeleine coffeecake dipped in orange blossom tea unleashes a flood of childhood memories within the protagonist.
Neuroscientists have discovered why the quickest way to the memory runs through the ears, eyes, mouth, and particularly the nose, which has a direct connection to the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for memory storage.
This work juxtaposes scents and images related to the trial and execution of Nicolae and Helena Ceausescu on Christmas day in 1989.
