When visitors enter the exhibition, canisters spritz scents derived from body odor originating from Asian American women and carpenter ants in a work titled “Immigrant Caucus.” To create the fragrance, Yi sampled the women’s sweat and worked with forensic chemist Kenneth Furton to identify the chemical constituents of the human body odors. [...]
With a list of the women’s sweaty top notes in hand, Yi then worked with a Parisian perfumer to recreate a synthetic interpretation of the armpit aroma and spiked the concoction with smelly chemicals emitted by carpenter ants.
— Anicka Yi’s exhibition “Life Is Cheap” is open at the Guggenheim through July 5. Read more at Olfactory science meets contemporary art, plus ants at Chemical & Engineering News, or see Please Smell the Art: Anicka Yi Will See That You Do at The New York Times, or Artist Anicka Yi’s Scents and Sensibilities at Vogue.
I’m overdue for a trip to New York.
And how many other chances will you get to smell this combo? None, I’ll wager.
I think this is Prix Eau Faux material!!!
😀
Absolutely!