How does art smell? About the olfactory dimension in art enjoyment

The world of contemporary art is characterized by its immense versatility and expressiveness. From paintings to sculptures and installations, artists have consistently pushed the boundaries of the medium to realize their visions.

a fascinating and often underestimated aspect of art is smell .

It is fascinating to observe how smells are increasingly being recognized and used as an artistic medium. The idea that artists have been deliberately integrating scent molecules into their works for several years now hints at the creative potential they hold.

Museums now offer so-called Smell Walks , where visitors can explore olfactory landscapes, and niche perfume labels also surprise with their experimental creations.

A significant portion of this development can be attributed to the Institute for Art and Olfaction in Los Angeles. Founded by Saskia Wilson-Brown , the institute has played a crucial role in establishing scent as a serious art form and a means of expression. Wilson-Brown views the creation of scent not merely as a technical skill, but as a social practice deeply rooted in our cultural experience.

A brief historical overview

Early History and Antiquity

Even in ancient times, smells had symbolic and cultic significance. Incense such as frankincense was used in religious ceremonies to establish a spiritual connection.

Fragrances have also been used for healing or as a sign of social status since the beginning of civilization.

This practice showed early on that smells could be used not only functionally, but also emotionally and meaningfully.

Olfactory art in the 20th century

However, the use of scent as a medium only really began to gain momentum in the 20th century. Marcel Duchamp , a pioneer of Dadaism , introduced the concept of the “artist as olfactory artist ,” notably with his work “Air de Paris” (1919), in which he filled a perfume bottle with Parisian air.

Duchamp presented the ampoule as a gift to Walter Arensberg in New York in 1920. The original object was damaged and replaced by Duchamp with a new one in 1949.

Although this was intended more as a humorous gesture, this readymade could be considered the foundation for examining the sense of smell as a means of artistic expression.

The diversity of olfactory art

Thanks in no small part to the pioneering work of Saskia Wilson-Brown, we are now aware that the use of fragrances encompasses far more than simply purchasing perfume bottles in luxury stores. Indeed, working with fragrances is a deeply rooted practice with historical and cultural dimensions.

Fragrances play a very special role in art. They offer the possibility of evoking memories triggering emotional responses creating multisensory experiences Ernesto Ventós and Sissel Tolaas have specifically conceived their artworks around fragrances in order to reach and touch the audience on a new level.

Or take the example of Pointillism in painting. Just as Georges Seurat arranged tiny dots on the canvas to form a large picture, scents can be used as "olfactory dots" to create complex sensory experiences.

Imagine an art installation where different scents are distributed along a path, together creating a "fragrance landscape." This type of artwork creates a deeper connection with viewers by engaging multiple senses simultaneously.

Beyond their artistic significance, fragrances also invite historical reflection. They have always held different meanings in different times and cultures—whether in ancient Egypt, among the Romans, or in the Islamic world of the Middle Ages. These historical uses can serve as sources of inspiration for understanding how deeply fragrances are embedded in our cultural DNA.

Institutions like the Institute for Art and Olfaction motivate us to explore this historical and cultural dimension of fragrances.

Installations and spatial works

Contemporary artists utilize scents in a variety of ways. One of the most common applications is in installation art, where scents help to alter the perception of a space. Artists such as Ernesto Neto and Wolfgang Laib create immersive installations that, through olfactory elements among others, completely transport the viewer to another world.

Laib, for example, uses pollen to create extensive yellow carpets that have an effect not only visually, but also olfactorily.

Performance art

Another fascinating area is the use of smells in performance art . Here, the artist uses smells to intensify emotions or to tell a story.

A well-known representative of this movement is Sissel Tolaas , who collects smells from various urban environments and uses them in her performances to highlight social and cultural differences.

Perfume as an art form

Perfumery and art merge in the hands of fragrance labels like Annick Goutal and Serge Lutens . These perfumers create scents that go far beyond commercial perfumery by telling stories or making cultural and historical references.

Goutal's work, for example, is often described as "liquid poetry ," while Lutens' perfumes are seen as olfactory paintings.

Annick Goutal Paris is an exceptional perfume brand from France. Annick Goutal represents the musical art of perfumery, masterfully crafted fragrances, and an alluringly fragrant ambiance from the heart of France. Annick Goutal passed away in 1999 at the young age of 53. Since then, her legacy has been carried on by her daughter Camille Goutal and perfumer Isabelle Doyen.

The creation “L'Eau Serge Lutens” was launched in 2010 by the renowned brand Serge Lutens. This fragrance embodied a longing for purity and served as a reaction against the societal pressure to surround ourselves with artificial scents. It is expansive, clear, and radiant, reminiscent of endless, open landscapes. A whiff of it feels like a fresh breeze of pure air.

Edmond Roudnitska , an independent perfumer and philosopher, also influenced modern perfumery through his style, personality, vision, perfumes, and writings.

He is the pioneer of a new artistic movement in perfumery, based on aesthetics and olfactory expression. Together with his wife Thérèse Roudnitska, he founded the company "Art et Parfum ," whose production and creation center is located in Spéracèdes in the hills above Grasse (France).

The story of this married couple depicts an extraordinary life from the Belle Époque to the present day.

Visit exhibitions that integrate artworks with olfactory elements, or read about the history of perfumery. This way you can learn to see fragrances not just as commercial products, but as cornerstones of a rich cultural heritage.

By viewing fragrances in this way, you open yourself to a world full of possibilities — a world in which fragrances are more than just fleeting fashion trends, but rather testimonies and mediators of culture and history.

The influence of fragrances on our senses and emotions

Smells have a direct connection to the limbic system of our brain, which is responsible for emotions and memory. This close connection means that smells can be highly emotional and significantly impactful.

The famous neuroscientist and olfactory researcher Hanns Hatt explains that smells can often evoke long-forgotten memories and trigger intense emotional reactions.

An excellent example of the emotional power of scents is “Sillage de la Reine” Marie Antoinette 's perfume . This fragrance allows us to gain an olfactory insight into life at the court of Versailles and, at the same time, connect with an important historical figure.

For many people, perfume is more than just a fragrance; it's a personal statement, a subtle touch of luxury that accompanies us daily. However, the exclusivity of well-known brand fragrances can often be an expensive indulgence.

fragrance dupes offer a fascinating and affordable alternative. These equivalent scents offer the essence of expensive perfumes at a fraction of the price.

The search for the perfect fragrance is a very personal journey, and choosing a fragrance dupe can be just as overwhelming as selecting the original perfume. But why are more and more people opting for this alternative?

Simple answer: value. Fragrance dupes offer a virtually identical scent experience without the high price tag often associated with luxury brands. Discover how you can enhance your fragrance experience with dupes without breaking your budget.

A prime example of a source of high-quality fragrance dupes is Hani Perfumes , where you can find an extensive selection of fragrances that are in no way inferior to the expensive originals.

An olfactory adventure in Ulm

I still remember my first olfactory art experience in 2015, which I had at the exhibition " There is Something in the Air: Scent in Art" at the Museum Villa Rot in Ulm, Upper Swabia. It was an installation by Clara Ursitti.

The exhibition at Villa Rot explored the relevance of the sense of smell and its diverse functions in contemporary artistic discourse and during the avant-garde. It presented works by international contemporary artists who investigated olfactory and fragrant sensations, their origins, composition, effects, and memory from various perspectives.

This experience showed me how powerful and profound olfactory art can be influencing our consciousness and our sense of time and space.

In the same year, a symposium was also held at the Museum Tinguely in Basel on the occasion of the exhibition “Belle Haleine – The Scent of Art”

A publication released in the following year, 2016, presented the results of the interdisciplinary symposium with contributions from the fields of biology, chemistry, anthropology, fragrance research, law, literature, art and cultural studies. 

Reception and classification of olfactory art

Evaluating olfactory art presents a unique challenge. Unlike visual or auditory experiences, which are easier to standardize and communicate, the sense of smell is often more subjective and individual. Wilson-Brown and her team have made it their mission to develop criteria and methods for adequately appreciating this art form.

Another interesting topic is the largely unwritten history of olfactory art. While the use of fragrances in rituals and the preservation of traditions is well known, comprehensive documentation and analysis of their application in modern and contemporary art practices is lacking.

Saskia Wilson-Brown sees this as an important task for future research: Documenting and processing this history could provide valuable insights into the social and cultural significance of fragrances.

The Institute for Art and Olfaction is therefore not only a creative but also an academic hub, bridging the gap between art and science. Those interested are encouraged to engage more deeply with the world of fragrances, whether through participation in workshops, visits to exhibitions, or simply by consciously experiencing their surroundings.

As Saskia Wilson-Brown aptly points out:

Smells are more than fleeting perceptions – they are an important part of our cultural identity and our collective memory.”

With a unique training program, the IAO caters to aspiring perfumers and creative minds who wish to deepen their passion for fragrances. The training courses impart in-depth knowledge at various levels, with the primary goal of understanding the fundamentals of molecules, explaining their function, and learning how to skillfully combine them with other fragrance ingredients.

This training encompasses both classical perfumery craftsmanship and the innovative world of olfactory art, as well as experimental approaches to working with fragrances. Furthermore, the IAO supports artists in their projects and initiates its own projects, often in collaboration with renowned museums or universities.

In addition, programs are offered that aim to raise awareness of unconventional and experimental approaches in perfumery and fragrance art. These include the Art and Olfaction Awards , the Experimental Scent Summit , Scent Week , and the IAO Gallery .

The IAO library is all about rare perfume books and fragrant artifacts. Also available is the podcast “Perfume on the Radio” and a magazine called Alabastron – a publication dedicated entirely to fragrance culture, edited by Nuri McBride and Saskia Wilson-Brown.

For those on this side of the Atlantic who wish to immerse themselves in the fragrance worlds of past decades, the Osmothèque highly recommended. It is a fragrance archive headquartered in Versailles, France.

The Osmothèque is a unique conservatory in Versailles and New York that preserves, authenticates, and reproduces the history of perfumery. Founded by renowned perfumers such as Jean Kerléo and Jean-Claude Ellena, it offers access to rare and historic fragrances like Le Chypre de Coty by François Coty. Thomas Fontaine has been the conservatory's president since 2020.

Entertaining facts and fun facts about fragrances

It is my pleasure to conclude this post with a few lighthearted facts on the subject.

• Napoleon and his Eau de Cologne : The French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was known to consume nearly 60 bottles of Eau de Cologne daily. He believed that the scent sharpened his mental faculties.
• The “forgotten” art gallery of scents : In 1970, the artist Peter de Cupere launched the “Olfactory Art Manifesto” to establish scents as an artistic medium. De Cupere is known for creating artworks consisting entirely of scents, such as a perfume called “The Smell of Vacuum Cleaner.”
• The New York Subway Experiment : One of the most fascinating applications of smells in art took place in an experiment in the New York subway system, in which artist Sissel Tolaas distributed smells of fear, joy and other emotions in various subway stations to observe the behavior of passengers.
• Scent as therapy : Scent has its place not only in art but also in medicine. Aromatherapy is used to alleviate stress and anxiety and to improve well-being. The close connection between smell and emotional perception makes this possible.