Workshop
Plant fragrance raw materials, test paper, glass bottles; 2023
Odor Ripple
Odors Ripples explores odor as an ecological medium at the molecular scale, revealing how it weaves hidden relational networks across species. The distinct aroma of matsutake mushrooms—a blend of earthy salinity and fermented, bodily undertones—serves as a mating signal for bees and a shared navigational marker for animals and mushroom foragers. Scents carry individual memories and collective unconsciousness while also demarcating boundaries between communities. They expose how instinct transcends rationality, imperceptibly reshaping human and non-human interactions.
The work unfolds through workshops: participants first identify singular plant odors, then treat scents as symbols of individual identity, conducting blending experiments guided by principles of human interaction. The results may harmonize or clash—mirroring the uncontrollable chemistry of relationships. Through this process, participants transcribe scent-triggered associations into texts: some describe "sun-drenched cotton quilts in summer," and others note "delicious gasoline" or " lady’s tears.” These writings become traces of olfactory flux, mapping a topography of memory.
In an age of sterility, we seek to reclaim scent’s poetic agency. As aromatic ripples intersect and overlap, predefined boundaries dissolve. The work will persist as an ongoing "ripple of interaction" through scent-based workshops.