SISSEL TOLAAS

SMELL MOLECULES ARE THE AIR’S ALPHABET

How much of what we say is influenced by what we see? And what happens to our stories when sight is no longer an option?

Please join the Historic Preservation program at GSAPP for a lecture and workshop by Sissel Tolaas, a Smell RE-searcher and artist, born in Norway, based in Berlin, Germany. Tolaas has been intensively researching, experimenting with, and working on the topic of smell since 1990. A pioneer in the field, she is renowned for her innovative and unique approach to advancing the science and understanding of olfaction. Drawing on her expertise in forensic chemistry, chemical communication, sensory ecology, linguistics, and visual art, she has developed a broad range of groundbreaking interdisciplinary projects involving smell, implemented worldwide.

The Lecture (1 PM) Location: 209 Fayerweather

How can we reactivate hidden dimensions of information from preserved objects or buildings? Could the details conveyed by smell molecules breathe new life into their narratives, altering or reshaping established preservation protocols? With this newly obtained information, how can we engage with preserved items in an entirely different format, perspective, and scale? What if the true content of an object, archive, or building could be unveiled through its olfactory structure, offering us an entirely new way of perceiving history?

Working alongside conservators and scholars in various labs and archives, my focus has been on developing a novel methodology to understand, communicate, and display artifacts, objects, or buildings. I capture the smell molecules emanating from these sources, analyze the recordings, construct precise databases, and devise innovative methods for communicating their narratives through the language of smell molecules and chemistry. Smell molecules, in their raw authenticity, reveal dimensions often overlooked in traditional preservation.

Discoveries in this process have shown that the narratives of these items—and our understanding and reuse of architecture and archives—can be reimagined in profound ways.

REAL SMELL MOLECULE RECORDING, REPLICATION, REPRODUCTION & APPLICATION

The Workshop (2:30 PM) Location: 655 Schermerhorn EXT

In this workshop, we will explore the intriguing idea that smell molecules are the air’s alphabet. How much of our perception is shaped by what we see? And how might our understanding transform if we relied on our sense of smell as our primary guide?

The workshop will delve into the experimental practice of Real Smell Molecule Recording, Replication, Reproduction, and Application. We will examine how the olfactory essence of objects can breathe new life into their narratives, challenging and reshaping traditional preservation methods. By interpreting the chemical language of smell, we unlock new ways of understanding that go beyond the limitations of visual perception.

We will explore the methodology that captures, analyzes, and replicates the smells of artifacts, objects, and even buildings. This process reveals often-overlooked layers of authenticity, enabling these items to tell deeper, more intimate stories. We will discover how smell molecules, in their evocative honesty, can transform our connection to the past and redefine our approach to cultural heritage.

Join us as we explore how the true essence of history may not lie in what we see, but in what we smell—unlocking a richer, multisensory way to understand and engage with the world.

Register here to join the workshop.

More about Sissel Tolaas

In January 2004, Tolaas founded the professional smell chemistry lab: SMELL RE_searchLab in Berlin – supported by the industry and various universities. Her expertise includes advanced smell recognition, analysis, and reproduction, as well as the coding and functional understanding of smell molecules. She has created novel methods for coding abstract smell molecules and studying linguistic responses to both individual smells and olfactory experiences in general. Tolaas has explored the science and art of smell in diverse contexts, applying her knowledge to a variety of purposes and formats.

Her research and projects have won recognition through numerous national and international scholarships, honours, and prizes. She is very capable at collaborating intensively with those of other disciplines across the globe. Tolaas has shown her projects in many museums and institutions including Museum of Modern Art, MOMA, New York; National Gallery of Victoria NGV, Melbourne; DIA Art Foundation, New York; CCA Singapore, Tate Modern London; Shanghai Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai; MORI Museum, Tokyo. She has worked with universities such as MIT, Nanyang Technical, Tsinghua, Stanford, Harvard, and Oxford. She has built up several types of smell archives such as: Smell & Communication/ language; Smell & Coding, Smell & Anthropocene; Smell & Extinction; Smell & Sensory Ecology; Functional Smell Molecules. Tolaas’ collections of smell molecules; smell complex structures and smell para data from 1990 and ongoing are including up to 20,000 smell recording samples and formulas.

She is currently working on smell-molecule legacies and preservation /conservation archives such as: Cristobal Balenciaga Legacy; the World’s Oceans and World’s Forests; smell geofacts / artefacts /archives at The Metropolitan Museum , New York; smell heritage archive for the Pompeii & UNESCO, Pompeii ; Bahrain Pearling Path & UNESCO, Bahrain; Museum of Oriental Art, Turin.

@SSSL_BERLIN

The Preservation Lecture Series is organized by the MS in Historic Preservation program.