presentation:

Scent and Scentsuality

Odorama 20 - with Lauryn Mannigel, Astrid Groot, Klara Ravat, Roald de Boer, Ibo Bakker

29 Kas 2017

Why are we attracted to some people and not to others? Many answers that try to explain sexual attraction point towards pheromones as a biological explanation for strong bodily desire. Scent is often seen as the lowest amongst the senses. It is the one that makes no sense, but that often causes the most immediate bodily response. Before you know it, you are drawn to somebody. During this edition of Odorama, we explore the scentsual aspect of scent. 

Different from previous Odorama editions this edition takes place on a Wednesday.

Extra note: dress warmly! (our Black Barn can get cold in the winter)

Tickets | Facebook

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Body Odour - Anisa Xhomaqi

Odorama is a collaboration between Mediamatic and Caro Verbeek.

Astrid Groot

At the University of Amsterdam, Astrid Groot researches how sexual attraction is involved in the initial divergence of populations. In this sense, sexual attraction is approached as the first step in speciation. Since sexual attraction can directly lead to assortative mating, we aim to understand which genes are involved in within-species variation and which factors may cause variation in sexual attraction.

Lauryn Mannigel

Artist Lauryn Mannigel co-founded the Smell Lab (July - October 2015) and runs the Sensory Culture Club reading group (2016-) in Berlin. Currently, she is investigating how we affectively perceive human body scents. For Museumnacht Amsterdam 2016, Mediamatic invited her to develop the olfactory dating performance, Love Sweat Love. The public — playing a crucial role — activated the performance by collecting their body scents, as well as smelling and selecting their favourites from a large collection of body scents. They were guided through the smelling process by a short survey. For Odorama, Lauryn will unveil the insights into the affective perception of body scent that result from this performance.

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Love Sweat Love Museumnight 2016 - In collaboration with artist Lauryn Mannigel Anisa Xhomaqi

Klara Ravat

Klara Ravat is an olfactory artist and experimental filmmaker. Also, she is the co-founder of the Smell Lab: a community project that focuses on the investigation and practice of the art and science of the sense of smell. During 2016-2017 she is an artist in residency at Mediamatic and in 2017 she teamed up with the Institution for Art and Olfaction to co-produce the first Experimental Scent Summit, hosted in Berlin. Through a series of smelling reenactments, Klara will tackle the sensuality of the act of smelling while asking the audience to activly participate.

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Klara Ravat created a smell in reaction to Han van der Vegt's Poem -

Roald de Boer

Roald de Boer wanted to become a firefighter, a doctor, a writer, an alcoholic, a quizmaster, and a film director but became an editorial assistant. He got fired after 25 years, graduated from Rietveld Academy, made a couple of short films with a voyeuristic touch and has been a zine-maker since 1996. In his zines, he often explores deviant fascinations and sexual preferences. During this Odorama he will present the process of acquiring used panties online - a fetish for many men allegedly because of the intimate scent - of which he documented each step in 2008 in one of his zines. Until now he never dared to open the package.

Ibo Bakker

Ibo Bakker sings, writes and performs. Finding himself in the tradition of the old folk singers and storytellers, he hopes to bring old stories back to life. He finds inspiration in old hypnotic hymns from Asia and Persia. During this scentual Odorama, Ibo performs his edit of the famous Screamin' Jay Hawkins song: I put a smell on you. 

Information

Odorama: Scent and Scentsuality
Wednesday 29 November
Program starts at 20:00
Mediamatic Biotoop, Dijksgracht 6, Amsterdam
Tickets: €7,50 pre-sale | €10 door | Students €5 (excl. Administration fee)

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Crowd during Museumnight 2016 - Participants of the olfactory dating performance  Love Sweat Love . A project  by artist Lauryn Mannigel in co-production with Mediamatic  for Museumnacht Amsterdam 2016. Anisa Xhomaqi

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- Discovering each other scent of attraction Why are we attracted to some people and not to others? Many answers that try to explain sexual attraction point towards pheromones as a biological explanation for strong bodily desire. During this edition of Odorama, we explored the scentsual aspect of scent.  Anisa Xhomaqi

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- Finally opening the Package How does it smell? Two years ago, Roald de Boer ordered used and worn panties online. Until this moment, he never dared to open the package.  Anisa Xhomaqi

With:
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What does it smell like? - Brave audience dared to smell the panties in the package ordered by Roald de Boer. They smell like socks and wet laundry.  Anisa Xhomaqi

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- Audience smelling each other's scent Why are we attracted to some people and not to others? Many answers that try to explain sexual attraction point towards pheromones as a biological explanation for strong bodily desire.  During this edition of Odorama, we explored the scentsual aspect of scent.  Anisa Xhomaqi

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- How does scentsual attraction work? Why are we attracted to some people and not to others? Many answers that try to explain sexual attraction point towards pheromones as a biological explanation for strong bodily desire.  During this edition of Odorama, we explored the scentsual aspect of scent.  Anisa Xhomaqi

With: Astrid Groot
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- I put a smell on you. Ibo Bakker performing 'I put a Smell on you' with a smoking Palo Santo on the back of his guitar.  Anisa Xhomaqi

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- Smelling each other's armpits Why are we attracted to some people and not to others? Many answers that try to explain sexual attraction point towards pheromones as a biological explanation for strong bodily desire.  During this edition of Odorama, we explored the scentsual aspect of scent.  Anisa Xhomaqi

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- Explaining the attraction of scent Why are we attracted to some people and not to others? Many answers that try to explain sexual attraction point towards pheromones as a biological explanation for strong bodily desire.  During this edition of Odorama, we explored the scentsual aspect of scent.  Anisa Xhomaqi

With: Astrid Groot
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- Smelling scenstual scent caught in a jar Why are we attracted to some people and not to others? Many answers that try to explain sexual attraction point towards pheromones as a biological explanation for strong bodily desire.  During this edition of Odorama, we explored the scentsual aspect of scent.  Anisa Xhomaqi