– Synasthesia of Scent and Color –
space installation (2023)
COLLABORATION BETWEEN CHRISTOPH LAUDAMIEL (MASTER PERFUMER) AND MAKI UEDA (OLFACTORY ARTIST)
DATE: 15 Oct (Premier) – 15 Nov 2023
VENUE: Supernova Kawasaki, Opening Exhibition
PRODUCTION / SPONSOR : BÉLAIR LAB
This is a collaboration work in which olfactory artist Maki Ueda visualizes “FADE-IN”, the signature fragrance of the venue developed by Christophe Laudamiel, a chief perfumer of BÉLAIR LAB.
A fragrance is composed of many facets. To fully understand it, it is interesting to chromatograph it or dissect it into different components. We are playing here with those facets olfactively and visually to expand the understanding of the public with the fragrance and to expand the public realm of emotions.
The origami flowers, scent sculptures, diffuse fragrance from a liquid pool through the rice paper. Like a chromatograph, we have isolated the scent ingredients in a fresh phase and a darker phase, each applied with its own color:
- [CYAN] Phase Light/Clean/Loud: fresh air green foliage accord, abstract, muget…
- [MAGENDA] Phase Dark/Resinous/Sensual: amber labdanum, patchouli, frankincense, immortelle, mimosa resin, strawberry
Flowers are tinted in different colors corresponding to each smell phase as a result of chromatography which takes about a week. The colors visualize the smell. It’s an ever-changing installation that shows that the lighter phase travels faster than the darker, and dries faster.
In one corner some flowers play one phase only. In another corner some flowers play the other phase. Society also does chromatography regularly of its populations, cultures or behaviors and separating them according to sharp loudness or colors. Here, the darker often placed last part of the chromatography or of society or of the fragrance is brought forward and the light loud high-pitch part, that comes up first in chromatogram and still too often in society or in loud music is shown on a less prominent side and softened with flowers.
The title of this work, Ni-ho-hi (にほひ/丹秀ひ) is an archaic origin of modern Japanese’s ni-o-i (におい、fragrance, scent, or smell), but somewhat with a synesthetic touch: it refers to something vibrant, shining pink with aura, and visual divinity of red and vermilion. “Ni” is the original ore of red mercury, also called vermilion sand, which was used to paint the torii gates of shrines. This work questions the synaesthesia of the ancients for those of us living in the modern age.
The name of the venue, “SUPERNOVA,” derives from supernova, newborn stars. The beautiful colors of the supernova are also a visualization of the chromatography of the atmosphere. Each of these tiny flowers are mini-novas, representing the birth of a new star, SUPERNOVA.
