Conceptual Materials Social Practice Artist
I have been interacting with Ann Hamilton’s white marble raised text installation at World Trade Center 1 train stop, to and from Governors Island all year long, before I even realized it was her work.
Before I was aware of the vast scope of Ann’s work, I was fascinated by images of her installation work circling the interwebs for years, which make this opportunity to watch an interview with her even most precious.
In the course of a single day, each of us breathes in and out around 24,000 times. With each breath, irresistible signals are sent straight to the brain—including smells, which in a matter of nanoseconds trigger emotions and memories, stirring up the subconscious in turn.
For Norwegian-born Sissel Tolaas, smell is a vital yet often overlooked tool for communication, and one she has been exploring through her work for more than three decades. She has devoted her research-based artistic practice to the olfactory rather than the visual or the auditory, thereby appealing to a different type of sensory experience with her projects. As Tolaas has noted, “My nose is more advanced than my eyes.”
As a wino, I can attest this is true.