An Exploration of Olfactory Perception
This project was a semester-long, interdisciplinary production that brought together art, musicology, and data science to explore the unexplored role of scent in enhancing an audio-visual experience. The inquiry centered on how this often-undervalued sense influences our perception of sound and memory. My role as co-coordinator focused on managing the complex production logistics and building the custom technical tools required to execute the artistic and research goals.
The Artistic Challenge and Production
The project was inspired by perfumer Christophe Laudamiel's earlier work and focused on Richard Strauss’s An Alpine Symphony. Our artistic goal was to synchronize an original video edit and music with precisely timed fragrances, turning the static piece into an immersive, four-dimensional experience.
- Timeline and Scope: The dedicated planning and testing spanned several months (late January to April 25th). The event drew overwhelming community interest, with over 90 attendees registered, resulting in the entire museum space being packed, and seating quickly running out.
- Scent Design Partnership: We managed the crucial collaboration with Neal Harris (Harris Fragrances), consulting directly on fragrance selection and diffuser setup. This partnership ensured the sensory elements were designed with the highest professional quality.
- Logistics & Setup: We handled all essential production logistics, including coordinating institutional sponsors and academic and industry guests, as well as the physical transfer and setup of all scent equipment and technical gear.
Custom Tools for Interdisciplinary Inquiry
My key contribution was designing and implementing two integrated systems that directly supported the performance's artistic goals and research component.
- Synchronized Sensory Delivery (Scent Control): I built a custom DMX control system—the standard for theatrical lighting—to connect and govern the network of scent machines positioned throughout the space. This system provided the precision timing needed for artistic execution, ensuring fragrances were delivered at the exact moment the music dictated.
- Real-Time Audience Feedback Tool: To analyze the power of scent, the performance withheld the names of certain musical chapters. Attendees recorded their perceptual inferences (their guess of the scene based only on the scent and sound) via a online questionnaire. I developed a small React app that instantly ingested and tabulated this audience data in real-time.
Outcome and Reflection
The symposium, which featured faculty and experts, provided the necessary intellectual context for the performance.
Immediately following the performance, I presented the aggregated results from the real-time feedback tool. The subsequent Q&A with the audience involved a critical discussion of the data, providing valuable feedback on the core hypothesis. This final step demonstrated the project’s success in using custom technology and data to engage a public audience in a discussion about art and perception.
