Love. An olfactory exhibition about the perfumer Andreas Wilhelm

Abstract

For my master's thesis, I designed the scenography for the exhibition "Love", an exhibition about the perfumer Andreas Wilhelm at the Zeughaus in Teufen.

The theme of love is closely linked to scent: fragrances contribute to whether we can "smell" each other or not. For the exhibition, Andreas Wilhelm has translated seven feelings, the essences of love, into fragrances, which can now be experienced in the exhibition. These are: Trust, Infatuation, Innocence, Sadness, Lust, Devotion and Jealousy. In addition to the scents, the craft and Wilhelm`s knowledge are also conveyed.

Instead of finding a visual translation of the fragrances, I focused on the setting that is needed to devote oneself to a fragrance and to sharpen the sense of smell again. In the exhibition, scents can now be experienced in a variety of ways: In the main room, an intimate, playful setting has been created to encourage an exchange with other visitors. In another room called "Love overdose", scent can be perceived as an intense spatial experience. And in the laboratory, fragrances with all their ingredients, stories and myths can be experienced again on a different level.

As a scenographer, I find the topic of scent extremely exciting - scent automatically transports us to another place without changing anything physical about our surroundings.