TedX — A Life in Seven Scents 2015 · Venlo / 2016 · Groningen

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No words. Just images, music and scent.
 

At TedX Venlo, a complete life cycle was performed live — from birth to death, in seven scents. Seven phases of life, each translated into fragrance and released into the room in real time, strengthened by images and music. The audience did not just watch or listen. They smelled their way through a life.

Scent has no language barrier. It needs no explanation. It lands before you have time to think about it — which is exactly what made this format work in a room full of strangers. Each phase triggered something different in each person: their own memories, their own associations, their own emotional response.

At TedX Groningen, the same live format was used in collaboration with scent researcher and curator Caro Verbeek. Rather than a standalone performance, the scent became part of her talk — a live olfactory layer added to her presentation in real time. Caro and I have worked together for over 18 years, developing live scented presentations that bring the science and experience of smell to audiences who have never thought about it before.

Scent as live performance

This is a different discipline from exhibition or product design. Live scent performance requires timing, precision and an understanding of how smell moves through a space and through an audience. Done well, it transforms a talk or performance into something genuinely unforgettable.