Almost a new year! The year has flown by, and despite the heavy global news, I have tried to see and amplify moments of light. Every small contribution helps because the more bright spots we create together, the more we can illuminate the darkness. Being kind to each other and enjoying life also helps. Here’s one fun thing for you to do: take a little break and dive into this NOSY letter.
In this NOSY letter, I share my olfactory adventures from this year. At the bottom, you’ll find various links to videos and websites mentioned in my story, as well as a link to revisit older blogs if you’d like. If you’d like to experience some scents live, upcoming scent events are regularly added to the agenda. You are warmly invited!
I wish you lots of reading, watching, and listening pleasure with this NOSY letter!
Winter & Spring
My year began with a special collaboration with fellow olfactory artist Hisako Inoue from Japan. Together, we created the art video Memories of Buckwheat, exploring the sensory experience of buckwheat through scent and taste from our cultural perspectives. It was fascinating to discover the differences and similarities between our experiences. One difference: in the Netherlands, it is easier to focus closely on such a sensory experience compared to Japan. A similarity: the scent and taste of buckwheat triggered a cascade of stories and memories.
In early spring, the video, accompanied by an olfactory experience, was first shown at the exhibition by my artist association De Onafhankelijken in Loods 6, Amsterdam. The art video inspired the development of the art project 'Boekweit en zijd', (Buckwheat and beyond) in which I artistically and multi-sensorily explored buckwheat.
As part of the project, I created the Buckwheat Bouquet, a perfume crafted for and by residents of Hilversum and Baarn. I identified six natural fragrances from the area, and 50 participants smelled these and voted on which ones belonged in the Buckwheat Bouquet. Participants could cast their votes at various locations, including the ART Hilversum exhibition, where the art video was shown again. Scots pine was the favorite, closely followed by honey. Surprisingly, the scent of sheep, which initially wrinkled many noses, received a significant number of votes. The result was a surprisingly pleasant, natural environmental fragrance.
At the same time, the idea for a small buckwheat field was born. How wonderful would it be to not only artistically explore all the buckwheat stories but also cultivate a real buckwheat field? Landgoed Drakenburg, where we keep our bee colonies, was immediately enthusiastic. After consulting the estate ecologist, a suitable spot was found, the soil was prepared in May, and the sowing began. The growth process was captured in a mini-documentary, complete with drone footage and a wildlife camera. The project provided beautiful insights into how buckwheat grows, blooms, and the animals it attracts. You can watch the video via the link below.
Summer
The summer was dedicated to preparations for my solo exhibition and a new olfactory art installation, Mille Fleurs (en route), for the Flower Art Museum. Just before summer, the curator of the museum invited me to contribute to a new exhibition, Blooming Melodies, with a unique concept: art accompanied by music composed by none other than Mike Boddé. What a fantastic opportunity!
During my “summer workcation” in France, I created a fragrant composition for the installation, collecting plants and distilling their fragrances. You’ll find a video link below detailing this process. The installation combines a tapestry, fragrant plants, and an antique bed I found in the French forest. After extensive restoration work, the bed, along with the rest of the installation materials, was carefully transported back to the Netherlands, fitting snugly in the car.
Back in the Netherlands, it was time to care for our bee colonies. The beeswax and propolis harvested during this time were incorporated into the tapestry Buckwheat and Bee Dance (Boekweit en bijendans), a summery olfactory artwork and part of the Boekweit en zijdproject.
Privately, we celebrated my eldest daughter’s wedding in a festive, festival-style setting. A fragrant memory of this memorable day was essential, so guests received scented soap as a keepsake. The recipe for this soap is included at the bottom of this Nosy letter
Autumn
In September, my exhibition Connecting Scents opened at Villa Berg en Dal in Baarn. This venue, now a Center for Religious Humanism, provides a space for activities exploring how we can lovingly inhabit the Earth. Thanks to the availability of two rooms, I had a fantastic opportunity to showcase my art. Alongside the Boekweit en zijd project, my new olfactory art themed New Tribal Scents was featured.
The exhibition was also part of various lectures and workshops organized during its run. Experiencing the KODO ceremony, a Japanese scent ritual, in this setting was particularly special. The ceremony, a delightful experience of scent and silence, will be repeated next year. Let me know if you’d like to be added to the waiting list!
October brought the opening of Blooming Melodies at the Flower Art Museum in Aalsmeer. For this exhibition, Mike Boddé composed lyrical music inspired by my installation Mille Fleurs (en route). About my work, he wrote: “Ambass'Odor (geurambassadeur) is a wonderful title. It evokes the solitude of a brilliant idea. It’s always easier to follow paths already taken, but this woman courageously and uniquely charts her own course.”
V.l.n.r.: in het Flower ART museum, live muziek van Mike Boddé, KODOceremonie in Boekweit en zijd zaal
The opening, perfectly organized by the curator, included live performances of Mike’s composed music. My olfactory art installation and all other artworks from selected artists can be viewed, listened to (and in my case, sniffed) until Sunday, January 19, 2025.
In November, Hans Alma presented her latest book, Eco-Spirituality: On the Path to Planetary Health. I was delighted to hear that the project Boekweit en zijd was featured in her inspiring new book.
Hans and I also conducted a workshop, olfactory Perception and Spiritual Care: An Exercise in Eco-Spirituality. This workshop provided tools for addressing existential questions such as climate anxiety. Participants ended the session by performing meaningful rituals they designed themselves, inspiring a valuable exchange of ideas.
Boek presentatie Hans Alma, Workshop Eco-spiritualiteit & geurbeleving
Looking Ahead
My collaboration with Hans Alma has led to an invitation to participate as an artist-in-residence in the research project Existential Challenges of Planetary Health. This inspiring project, guided by Hans Alma and Pim Martens, involves PhD researchers Renée Robbers, Stephan Huijboom, and Evanne Nowak, postdoc Lisa Doeland, and fellow artist Gijs Assman. Together, we will explore how to rethink our relationship with the Earth, aiming to contribute to a necessary “worldview shift” to care for the well-being of all species. I hope to contribute with scent and art to foster new insights and care for our planet. You can follow the project via the special webpage linked below.
Watch, Listen, and Experience
Below are links to videos, interesting pages, and the promised recipe.
Linkjes
Video: destillatie geuren voor Mille Fleurs
Video: groei en bloei van het boekweitakkertje
Pagina: Boekweit en zijd
Boek: Ecospiritualiteit,over de weg naar planetaire gezondheid
Pagina: Mille Fleurs (en route) met neusgymnastiekvideo
Japanse KODO-ceremonie
Onderzoeksproject Existential Challenges of Planetary Health
Lekker nalezen: oude luchtige BLOGS op geurambassadeur BLOGspot
Collaborations and thanks
Recipe for festive scented soap
What you'll need:
Silicone mold (I used a mold with six cavities per tray)
Transparent melt-and-pour soap base (plant-based and cruelty-free)
Organic essential oils (blend: I used Scots pine with bergamot)
Flower petals
Wax paper
Steps:
Weigh the soap base (determine the amount needed for your mold).
Calculate the amount of essential oil: You'll need 3% of the soap's weight in essential oil.
Divide the oil by the number of cavities in the mold (Tip: 1 ml = 20 drops).
Melt the soap base slowly in a stainless steel pouring jug or saucepan using a bain-marie (water bath) until fully liquefied.
Pour the melted soap into the mold cavities.
Add the essential oil drop by drop into each cavity and gently stir with, for example, a chopstick.
Add the flower petals and press them slightly into place with the chopstick.
Allow the soap to harden in the mold, then carefully remove each bar from the cavities.
Wrap the soaps in wax paper for storage or gifting.
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