The Secret Power of Scents – Düsseldorf
In February, NOSE-member, Ekaterina Rzhevskaia together with Lena Trost, an artistic researcher from the Institute of Ceramic and Glass Art (IKKG) had the opportunity to visit an art exhibition “The Secret Power of Scents” (“Die geheime macht der Düfte“) that combines a traditional visual art experience with olfactory immersion for all art lovers at the Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf. The exhibition, curated by Robert Müller-Grünow, a pioneer of scent technologies, aims to bring together different sensory dimensions, demonstrating how advanced olfactory immersion can enhance the visual art experience.
This represents a relatively new way of diving into art: being able not only to look at artworks from our usual visual perspective, but also to reconnect with a thought-to-be-lost past through the experience of smell. Walking through 5,000 m2 of an impressive art collection, we navigated a sensory journey stretching from antiquity to the present day.
The exhibition guides visitors through history via scents. It begins with spiritual fragrances used in religious rituals, then moves to the spices that arrived in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries, shaping the characteristic smells of European cities. From there, the journey continues to the invention of early modern perfumes and the rivalry over the “true” Eau de Cologne between Farina and 4711.
Advancing into the period of the Industrial Revolution, scents evolved with the invention of synthetic aroma molecules. These developments influenced not only the perfume industry but also the growing market of household chemicals such as soaps, detergents, and other everyday products. In the final stages of the exhibition, one encounter the 20th century, when scents became powerful marketing tools, shaping everyday consumer experiences and gradually becoming subjects of systematic scientific research. This historical and sensory pathway perfectly captures the essence of the route that Müller-Grünow designed for visitors.
The approach to scent presentation deserves to be specifically highlighted. The exhibition featured various smell stations: from automatic air diffusers and classic scent jars to engaging glass cloches, bulb atomizers, and button-activated scent dispensers. These interactive elements made the olfactory experience tangible and participatory.
While such scent-delivery techniques may not be new to the scientific community or to perfume enthusiasts, their integration into an art exhibition aimed at a broad audience is certainly novel. In the context of artistic performance and museum curation for lay visitors, this approach feels innovative and bold.
By visiting this exhibition, one gains the opportunity to look at art, as well as cultural, historical, and societal development from a different sensory perspective. By focusing not only on artworks themselves but also on the human and scientific history of scent, the exhibition invites us to reflect on human development and personal experience in a way that remains unfamiliar to much of the wider public. It demonstrates that art can be perceived not only visually, but also olfactorily, and that this additional dimension can profoundly enrich our understanding.
Due to the great success, the exhibition has been extended until March 22. If you are interested in experiencing this multisensory art journey, you still have an opportunity to do it. You can find more information about the exhibition and the tickets via this link.