All posts by Scent Culture Institute: Smelling in Culture, Business & Society

Scent Culture Institute is a hub for projects on smelling in culture, business & society based in Switzerland: Thought leadership, cultural production, multi-sensory innovation; general management development; talks, workshops & consulting. SCI ist eine Platform für Projekte zum Geruchsinn, Riechen, Düften in Kultur, Wirtschaft, Unternehmen und Gesellschaft in der Schweiz (Zürich & Bern): Forschung, Entwicklung, Vorträge, Workshops, Beratung, kulturelle Produktion.

A Sniff Test For Alzheimer’s Checks For The Ability To Identify Odors (NPR)

Parkinson’s disease, smoking, certain head injuries and even normal aging can influence our sense of smell. But certain patterns of loss in the ability to identify odors seem pronounced in Alzheimer’s, researchers say.

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“Two studies released at an international Alzheimer’s meeting Tuesday suggest doctors may eventually be able to screen people for this form of dementia by testing the ability to identify familiar odors, like smoke, coffee and raspberry…”

Read more at: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/07/26/487391863/a-sniff-test-for-alzheimers-checks-for-the-ability-to-identify-odors

Beyond the Juice: The Role of Blogs and Awards

Artistic perfumery has essentially been about the juice from its very beginning in the late 1970s: Jean Laporte started L’Artisan Parfumeur and  focused on the juice as well as its creator. Later on, corporate players became interested in this vibrant segment and launched their own niche lines. More recently, the Institute for Art and Olfaction (IAO) was created, signaling a comprehensive “new approach to the olfactory arts“ (Saskia Wilson-Brown, IAO founder’s statement, 2012). Consequently, the IAO’s prominent Art & Olfaction Awards highlight the artistry in perfumery. In fact, the awards propose to celebrate the value of the juice, and the juice alone.

Continue reading Beyond the Juice: The Role of Blogs and Awards

Syrians in Jordan: A community of refugees flowers in the desert

Ibrahim’s perfume stall in a Jordanian camp hosting Syrian refugees represents more than a business. It is also a small step towards building a community rooted in hope. We would like to learn more about Ibrahim’s endeavour. Please let him know! Continue reading Syrians in Jordan: A community of refugees flowers in the desert

Beyond Genius: Creativity in perfume-making

Perfume-making – without a doubt – is a creative practice. Yet, our understanding of creativity is often limited. We basically think about the outstanding achievements of a creative genius without exploring the practices and strategies that underlie their creative solutions.

This talk opens the blackbox of creativity: It will focus on empirical data from case study research in the niche perfume industry, and outline the aesthetic and sensual practices that enable creative solutions in perfume-making.

Continue reading Beyond Genius: Creativity in perfume-making

Beyond De-odorant & Scent-Marketing: The Sense of Smell at the Workplace

It is apparent that the sense of smell can hardly be switched off at the workplace. Yet, business and management research has only recently started to explore its relevance. A number of research and transfer projects have been conducted at Bern University of Applied Sciences. And there is an upcoming forum to share and discuss this topic. Continue reading Beyond De-odorant & Scent-Marketing: The Sense of Smell at the Workplace

Scent Culture Club: “Diary of Smells – Shards” & Samples Exchange

For the last Scent Culture Club gathering before the summer break, we will explore a work, “Diary of SmellsShards“, by Brazilian artist, Josely Carvalho. Continue reading Scent Culture Club: “Diary of Smells – Shards” & Samples Exchange