olfactogeography is an intersection of olfaction and psychology focuses on psychological experiences of smells in order to reveal or illuminate the forgotten, the imagined or the unseen. rather than helping comprehend the smell in its complexity conveyed through odorous elemnts, also knows as notes, it examines the subjectivness of the scent perception and encourages personal interpretations. the geographical aspect of the phenomenon narrows it down to a specific topic of travel: travel in time, space and matter. olfactogeographical travel requires a subject and a smell. when the smell is being ‘perceived’ by a subject, a numerous successful outcomes can be produced: the subject can be taken back in time to the spaced visited and seen, associated with the scent. a subject can also be transported to a space in time never encountered .

 

“Using my olfactive memory, I select, write down, juxtapose, and dose dozens of aromatic compounds. Whether odors are good or bad doesn’t matter; these materials are like words, I use them to tell a story. Perfume has its own syntax, its own grammar. My nose is nothing more than a measuring instrument. I use it to test, to compare, and to evaluate in order to mark, correct, and repeat the work in progress.

I am helped in my work by an assistant whose main job is to weigh the formulas to milligram accuracy, to monitor, manage, and check every material.”

 

Excerpt From: Jean-Claude Ellena. “Perfume”.  

 

‘faux-naïf' is a mixed-media project which explores the relationship between vision, olfaction and geographic locations. I aim to convey a Visual Language of Smell through depictions of olfactory perception and memories of visited cities that revolve around a perfume called ‘Musc Ravageur’. Through exploring the visually intangible, the project reveals the importance of narratives held by scent and their effect on the personality and behaviour.