Scents enter the museum

Le Journal des Arts reports that museums are increasingly incorporating scent into their exhibitions, using olfactory elements to enhance visitor engagement and create multi-sensory experiences. The article explores how institutions are collaborating with perfumers and scientists to develop curated smells that complement visual artworks, from historical recreations of period-appropriate odors to abstract scents designed to evoke emotional responses.

This trend matters because it represents a fundamental shift in how museums approach audience engagement, moving beyond the traditional primacy of sight to embrace other senses. By integrating smell, museums can make exhibitions more accessible to visually impaired visitors and create deeper, more memorable connections with art. However, the practice also raises practical challenges around scent diffusion, visitor sensitivity, and the ephemeral nature of olfactory art, prompting debates about authenticity and commercialization in the museum space.