Seattle Exhibit Explores Art Through Fragrance and Digital Design

The National Nordic Museum in Seattle is hosting a groundbreaking exhibit that combines digital art with fragrance in order to create an experience unlike any other. 

Faux Flora, an installation by Icelandic art collective Fischersund, runs until January 26 and invites visitors to engage their senses in an exploration of memory, nature, and imagination.

Fischersund, a family-run collective with roots in Iceland, is renowned for crafting fragrances inspired by their homeland's rugged landscapes. For this exhibit, they have extended their creativity into the digital realm, imagining a series of fictional flowers brought to life through colorful, animated displays. These digital flowers, designed using advanced 3D software, pulse and sway in the low-lit gallery. The result is a breathtaking dreamlike atmosphere.

What sets Faux Flora apart is its use of scent to deepen the connection between art and audience. Each fictional flower is paired with a custom fragrance. Visitors have the opportunity to "smell" the art as they observe it. The fragrances, housed in handcrafted resin bell jars, reflect elements of Iceland’s natural environment. Sound also plays a vital role in the exhibit, with curated soundscapes accompanying each flower. From soft murmurs to atmospheric tones, the auditory elements are designed to complement the visual and olfactory aspects.

The exhibit’s layering of scent, sound, and visuals invites visitors to step into a world where sensory boundaries blur. Viewers are encouraged to reflect on the ways scent can bring forth powerful memories and emotions. Sure enough, fragrance can transform a simple moment into a profound experience.

Faux Flora represents a unique intersection of art, technology, and nature. It challenges traditional notions of how art is experienced. The exhibit’s limited run offers a rare chance for audiences to explore the power of scent and its role in shaping perception and memory. Visitors to the National Nordic Museum can experience this innovative installation until January 26.