at Olfactory Art Keller

on Sunday July 14th at 1pm

The current group exhibition at Olfactory Art Keller, Found Scents, surveys scent art that uses unusual materials ranging from chlorine to compost. Using everyday objects and liquids to create perceptually complex and aesthetically challenging olfactory experiences provides a counterpoint to the long tradition of fetishizing rare and expensive scent materials. In visual art, there is a long tradition of using materials that are not normally considered art materials while olfactory art is still in the process of broadening its palette beyond fragrance materials. In this seminar, five New York-based artists who work with unusual scents will talk about their practice.

1:00pm to 1:45pm Tessa Liebman: Afterparty

Tessa Liebman (AKA Scents of Plates) will talk about her piece Afterparty which had her collecting and tincturing community compost from the 5 boroughs of her home city, New York.

1:45pm to 2:30pm Liz Wendelbo: Excavation / Excavation IV 

Liz Wendelbo will talk about her found scent ‘Excavation’ and assemblage of ephemera  ‘Excavation IV’. She will guide the audience through her selection process for the various pieces in the assemblage, sharing the stories behind when and how they were gathered. She’ll shed light on how she interpreted the assemblage and created a scent about ephemera - and specifically about time and paper. The presentation promises to offer a unique insight into the artistic mind of Liz Wendelbo and her exploration of the connections between scent, memory, and the tangible remnants of the past.

2:30pm to 3:00pm break

3:00pm to 3:45pm Ro Miller: Uncomfortable Implications: The Challenge of the Olfactory Spectator

Ro Miller will give a lecture performance on the difficulties and opportunities that Olfactory Art provides to its smellers. They will examine how a considered engagement with an olfactory piece requires intimacy and vulnerability. This lecture will ask for audience engagement.

3:45pm to 4:30pm RB Wren: Slim Pickings

RB Wren will talk about Slim Pickings, her contribution to the Found Scents exhibition.

This event is free and seating is first-come first-served.