27 January is the day for everyone to remember the millions of people killed in the Holocaust, Nazi Persecution and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur. The Holocaust Memorial Day 2020 marks 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. On this day I take the liberty to...
Differences between smells are meaningless
“We do not discover the meaning of a smell by distinguishing it from other smells but by distinguishing contexts within which particular smells have a typical value.” – ALFRED GELL
Michel Serres: the philosopher of the senses R.I.P.
Michel Serres, the French philosopher, died yesterday.
Stop of controversial advertizing campaign: Renewing smell culture as taboo culture!
Hornbach is a Geman DIY store chain offering home improvement and do-it-yourself goods decided to stop and withdraw the recent campaign “The smell of spring” after being criticized for promoting racist and sexist stereotypes.
“Spring Air”: DIY retailer & the subculture of BO
Hornbach is a Geman DIY store chain offering home improvement and do-it-yourself goods. “The scent of spring” is the title of its most recent brand campaign:
Ferdinand & Smell culture studies (4)
The Story of Ferdinand (1936) is a much acclaimed classic children book written by American author Munro Leaf and illustrated by Robert Lawson. This post reveals the fragrant (and so far ignored) message of the plot.
Wo bleibt der Duft? A new whiff of politics?
In the ongoing election campaign in the German state of Bavaria the neoliberal FDP tries to sell the political agenda with the whiff of a new car scent and triggers some controversy. What is “aseptic” about it as the FAZ argues? Is it authentic? Or is this a new step...
“We-Feeling”: The sociality of scents!
What is social or even political about scent? This Scent Culture Comment & Review reveals some of the implications of a casual interview.
Following an artisan perfumer: “Duftspuren”
This post takes a look at artisan perfumers. It discusses the autobiographical record by Sven Pritzkoleit published in 2016.
Ferdinand & current research (3)
The Story of Ferdinand is a much acclaimed classic children book written by American author Munro Leaf and illustrated by Robert Lawson. Since its publication in 1936 the story has generated a wide range of readings. This essay looks at Ferdinand as a possible icon of science communication. It shows how the story...
Ferdinand & the King of Happiness (2)
The Story of Ferdinand also has a remarkable cinematic history: This post revisits the short animated film adapted by Walt Disney 1938 and reveals its craftmanship in showing olfactory practices.
Ferdinand & the pleasures of olfactory perception (1)
The Story of Ferdinand is a much acclaimed classic children book written by American author Munro Leaf and illustrated by Robert Lawson. This post reveals the fragrant (and so far widely ignored) message of the plot. It is the first chapter in a new series Ferdinand& of Scent Culture Comment & Review.
More than functional bottles: Scent & Symbolism
A recent exhibition on perfumed objects and images provides the context for a few remarks on the role of flacons. Even after the finassage the catalogue deserves more attention.
Risky media buzz about scent
Marketing experts tell us that negative headlines get much more attention:
Exhibition in Berlin: “It smells like… flowers & fragrances”
The exhibition ‘It smells like… flowers & fragrances’, on view at me Collectors Room in Berlin from 14 April to 1 July 2018, reveals the undiminished potential of the visually rich subject of depictions of flowers and the subversive olfactory power of fragrances in contemporary art. The curator is Dr Heike...
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