Istituto dell'Odore Discovery Set

There is a place, there is a building, there is an archive.

A collection made to archive the past and the present, and so make the olfactory future permanent: the one place, physical and imaginary at once, where the memories humankind has lost over time are kept. Each release is built around a specific raw material and becomes a sanctuary for memories and emotions, so that a personal experience turns into something shared.

The archivist's work begins with the research and cataloguing of artefacts. The first five are on display: Iris woken at night with the factory lights on, a vanilla found in an episode of Twin Peaks, that peel on the stove, a circus on the outskirts, incense everywhere.

Istituto dell'Odore names three roles: Meo Fusciuni, archivist; Federica Castellani, analyst; Alessio Gerini, oneiromancer. There is a place, there is a building, there is an archive: a collection of fragrances made to archive the past and the present, and so make the olfactory future permanent. It is the one place, physical and imaginary at once, where the olfactory memories and essences humankind has lost over time are kept.

Each release is built around a specific raw material and becomes a sanctuary for memories and emotions, so that a personal experience turns into a shared element of the collective, toward a comprehensive catalogue of raw materials that carry common memories. The creator becomes an archivist and custodian of tomorrow's olfactory memory. The work begins with the research and cataloguing of artefacts, and the first five are already on display.