Some online resources related to Viral Parfum

Smell It! Symposium
https://vimeo.com/showcase/8649699

Arte

https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/101082-007-A/twist/

Production Instructions - Viral Parfum

 [SPACE DESIGN]
- A standard white cubic space
- The size: +- 2m x 2m
- The entrance should be made with black textile curtain or PVC curtain that conceals the light from outside (= the space needs to be completely dark in the original state)
- The walls, the floor, the ceiling should be painted white
- There needs 2 pedestals (in white color): one is for showing the “master perfumes” to be located in the center of the room, and the other one is to be located by the entrance outside of the room or inside of the room, for “give-away perfumes”.

- The walls needs to be covered with some kind of materials for the perfumes to absorb (since it probably does not stay on the painted surface).  For example, a cotton textile to cover the area between +- 70cm to 170cm in height, to make it easier for kids to smell too.  The textile needs to be washed and ironed before setting it up, because when it's new it has textile glue on the surface for the lotus effect, and it would prevent absorbing the perfume. 

(example of the cotton textile)

[MINI BOTTLES: FOR VISITORS TO PLAY WITH THE SPACE]
- The small bottles are for give-away.  They are for the visitors to participate in the work and “decorate” the space freely as they want.  

- There will be 300 bottles in total, in 6 different colors (only visible when it’s dark) corresponding to the scents.  When they are together, it forms the scent of lily.

[BIG BOTTLES: MASTER PERFUMES]
- The master perfumes are to be exhibited as the main objects of this installation, but they’re also meant for the museum staff to “decorate” the space regularly.  There will be 6 bottles in different colors (off course with different scents)

- These are to be exhibited in the center of the room.  They have to look “luxury” perfume with proper spot lighting.  

- They need to have vandalism proof. There is no grip to my eyes to tie them with wires.  An option could be to place them in a sort of “vitrine” or “glass showcase” with a lock, in stead of placing them on a pedestal.
Bottle Brand: Pochpack.

 

[LIGHTING]
(1) There needs 4 times black lights, each stronger than at least 30W (the stronger the better), mounted to the ceiling or the wall, for projecting each walls.
(2) There needs 1 spotlight for the pedestal in the center.
(3) There needs 1 ambient light, mounted to the ceiling or the wall
(4) There needs 1 spotlight for the pedestal at the entrance (outside of the room).

(1) to (3) should be connected to a lighting controller which let the lights fade out and in individually, following certain program as follows:

Stage 1: only when the daylight is on: nothing visible but there's only smell. [duration: +- 1 min]

Stage 2: when the black light fades in and the daylight fades out, the spots become visible. [duration: +- 1 min]

Stage 3: when the black light fades out, you stand in the total darkness. [duration: +- 1 min] The spots would gradually lose the intensity, then the daylight fades in.

Repeat these 3 stages again.







Viral Parfum - What if coronaviruses were something you could smell and see? -

New installation to be exhibited in Bremen, Germany in May-July:

 
Viral Parfum　
- What if coronaviruses were something you could smell and see? - 

Maki Ueda 

Since the appearance of the new coronavirus, we try to avoid airborne viruses by ventilating the air, meeting people in places where droplets cannot reach us, wearing masks to protect ourselves, and washing off viruses that may have gotten on our hands. In order to learn more about the virus we have been trying to see and visualise the invisible viruses, often in laboratory settings.

I came to the idea that the way this virus spreads has similarities to the way scents spread. Scents also spread in the air, so I often pay attention to air convection and ventilation, I also wear a mask when working with strong fragrances, and when handling fragrances, I change my gloves frequently to prevent the scent from spreading to other bottles.

Here are some of the similarities that scents and coronaviruses share:
- They are both too small to be seen.
- They spread through the air.
- They are spread by adhesion
- They disappear over time.

In this exhibition, I use scents to represent the different mutations of the virus. Visitors may spray the "viral parfum" anywhere they like in the room. Other visitors can detect and recognise the scents to find out where the virus is attached. The virus is invisible under normal light, but is occasionally illuminated by using a black light.

There are six different types of viruses here, including mutations. Each of them has a different fragrance, and when combined, they create the scent of white lily. It is a fragrance to mourn and honour the deaths caused by the novel coronavirus.