The article explores the challenge of articulating olfactory experiences in art, focusing on Norwegian artist Sissel Tolaas, who has dedicated her career to scent as a medium. Tolaas has collected over 15,000 smell molecules for her SMELL RE_searchLab in Berlin and invented a language called NASALO to describe scents more precisely. The piece also highlights the Kunstpalast Düsseldorf's exhibition "The Secret Power of Scents," which integrates smell into its permanent collection display, and references historical and contemporary artists like Ernesto Neto, Mike Kelley, and Oswaldo Maciá who have used scent in their work.
This matters because it addresses a growing trend in contemporary art and museums to engage the sense of smell, moving beyond the traditional visual focus. By examining how artists and institutions are developing new languages and interpretive tools for olfactory art, the article underscores a shift toward more immersive, multi-sensory experiences that challenge conventional museum practices and conservation concerns. It also reflects broader cultural interest in how scent triggers memory and emotion, making art more accessible and visceral.