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.
In the context of the on-going re-examination of the collection at Kunstmuseum Thun, the first exhibition curated by Ashraf Osman and Anja Seiler focused on the olfactory aspects of the material and techniques of art making, which are often smelly, yet widely neglected. In this context, Claus Noppeney gave a talk on 16 March titled “From Sniffing to Art: The Sense of Smell in Artistic Production”. Continue reading From Sniffing to Art: The Sense of Smell in Artistic Production→
The Lucerne School of Art and Design is the oldest college of art and design in German-speaking Switzerland. In fact, it is celebrating the 140th anniversary of its foundation throughout this academic year. Thus, the school reflects on the history and prospects of art and design education and organizes a sequence of keynote lectures titled: €ÂCraftsmen and Visionaries: Art and Design Education between Social Responsibility and Freedom. Here is the program: Ringvorlesung Symposium 2015. In this context, Claus Noppeney has been invited to explore olfaction as an innovative field in art and design (education). Being strongly rooted in craftsmanship, traditional perfumery takes a cultural turn. Innovative products and services (see our Scent Culture News) show how the sense of smell steadily becomes a design parameter.  Moreover, the olfactory dimension is increasingly part of contemporary artistic practices.
This fall, the UBS Arts Forum was devoted to contemporary sculpture. In this context, the program featured a lecture by Claus Noppeney on Expanding the Notion of Sculpture: “Mit der Nase in die Skulptur” and three scent sculptures by Christophe Laudamiel and Christoph Hornetz were exhibited at the Seepark Thun. Continue reading UBS Arts Forum: Expanding the Notion of Sculpture→
“Perfume-making: At the Junction of Creative Production and Scientific Practices†was the title of a presentation and seminar by Claus Noppeney  at London College of Fashion: University of the Arts, London, Presentation & seminar: 24 – 25 October 2012. Thanks to the invitation by Ian King from the “Aesthetics and Management Hub” the Swiss research project could be presented at one of the leading international art and design universities. In the discussion Carolyn Mair, Director of Fashion Psychology at LCF, explained that brain light-waves produce images in our mind but it is human interpretation that forms individual meaning. She added that meaning comes from connections in our brain that makes sense of the basic environment that we choose to pay attention to, because of our experiences.  “We all react to scents and touch in different ways. It is translated within our memory so although we smell and might have the same reactions to molecules, the difference comes in when we interpret that in terms of remembering and recalling,†Mair said.
[blog_subscription_form title=”” title_following=”You are already subscribed” subscribe_text=”” subscribe_logged_in=”Click to subscribe to this site” subscribe_button=”Click me!” show_subscribers_total=true]
At the World Perfumery Congress 2014 in Deauville, Claus Noppeney gave a presentation on the value of management research for the perfume industry. Based on the research projects at Bern University of Applied Sciences he argued that the development of new scents is above all an organizational process that involves the collaboration across disciplines, organizations and the senses. The rise of niche perfumery demonstrates that design-driven, cultural and aesthetic innovation is gaining importance. These non-technical types of innovation hardly follow from the development of new ingredients or technical deliveries. Instead, it is a result of organizing practices known from the creative industries. In fact, it is high time to expand the notion of innovation. A closer collaboration with management and design research is a first step to provide the perfume industry with fresh and informed insights on processes and practices in the industry. This will “open new avenues and complement the programs on ingredients and technical delivery” as Perfumer & Flavorist summarized the presentation.
[blog_subscription_form title=”” title_following=”You are already subscribed” subscribe_text=”” subscribe_logged_in=”Click to subscribe to this site” subscribe_button=”Click me!” show_subscribers_total=true]
Thought leadership, talks, workshops, cultural production & consulting in an experiential & aesthetic economy Bern, Zürich, Schweiz
