Smell of my Father / Smell of my Mother

Smell of my Father / Smell of my Mother

An invisible work: no colour, no texture, no sound, no light… Is there anything left? How can a work like this exist so that we can perceive it?

A smell. Well, two, actually.

In his PhD research, Carsten Höller explored olfactory communication in insects, a subject he was (still is) particularly interested in. And so he has come back to it in this exhibition.

We know very well that smells affect the way we are and perceive our environment. Sometimes, scents are so subtle we cannot consciously smell them, yet they still produce an effect on us.

Well, then, this is exactly what will happen to you in here.

Höller knows smells can trigger really vivid memories. With the help of Colección Olor Visual, he created two scents. One of them reminds him of his mother, the other evokes memories of his father. Both are inserted in the room automatically. Can you smell them? Can you tell which is which? Do you think they can affect your perception?

Related Images

Centro Botín

Albareda Dock no/d,

Peredas gardens

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