Scent particles on skin

Experiencing the connection between scent and skin in the art of Sissel Tolaas

Abstract

Skin is often experienced as a closed barrier between the inside of the body and the outside environment. New research describes our body as much more integrated in the environment. The skin is a contact point for this exchange, and this may be experienced through olfaction – the sense of smell. Through an analysis of Sissel Tolaas’ scent art piece Liquid_Money_2 (2021), I try to convey a sense of materiality experienced when entrenched in an atmosphere of smell as in the sauna that the piece consisted of. The analysis is written through a detailed interview with a person who had visited the museum and experienced the specific piece four times. Through this description, I uncover how smell infuses the skin, and how many more things can be smelled than we are aware of in our everyday lives. These observations, juxtaposed with New Materialist ontological views presented by Karen Barad and Jane Bennett, shape an understanding of smells signifying the flow of materials in and around us. In this way, olfactory art is an opportunity to experience the materiality of skin and the world anew.