Sight has priority over the other human senses, especially in the art world. Eyes are unquestionably more important than ears when one looks at a painting or sculpture. People who know music and take it seriously often close their eyes when they listen. The nose is a more unattractive and a more complicated organ than ears or eyes. Evolved humans no longer need to interpret olfactory signals for survival, but at times a person’s skin will inexplicably freeze or prickle. Why? What does it mean? Smells are invisible, silent ghosts. Nothing evokes the past, perhaps even past lives, more strongly than a scent.

 

A drop of a particular perfume on a certain patch of skin can devastate the world and the life you thought you knew, that you thought were yours.

What did the young woman who became known as Mona Lisa smell like?

What was the first thing visitors noticed upon a visit to Constantin Brancusi’s workplace? When did Pablo Picasso stop smelling of sweat?

 

Master Perfumer (musician/artist) Sileno Cheloni’s collaboration with Keil Space adds additional depth to multisensory visitors’ experiences. Just as the placement of a light and the color of the heated metal that projects it affect an artwork’s appearance, the evocative power of a complementary smell completes the sensory picture. The piece, whatever it looks like, surrounds and enters the viewer.