Smellmap Amsterdam

Spring 2013 in Amsterdam revealed an abundance of the warm, sugary, powdery sweetness of waffles. Oriental spices emanated from Asian and Surinamese restaurants and supermarkets, pickled herring from the herring stands and markets – a link to one of the city’s key historical industries. Old books were detected in basement doorways and laundry aromas drifted up into the streets from Amsterdam’s many house hotels.

People expect Amsterdam to smell primarily of cannabis. Cannabis has a strong smell, equal to asparagus, cleaning products, bacon and the dentists’ surgery in perceived intensity. But it only featured in a couple of neighbourhoods and missed inclusion here.

Instead the smell of sun, flowers and new leaves indicated the welcome arrival of a late spring and chocolate power drifted in in small clouds.

Over 650 smells were detected by 44 people undertaking 10 smellwalks over a period of 4 days in April 2013. Based on written descriptions from the smellwalkers, 50 broad categories were identified. Both frequently-mentioned and curious smells feature on the map.

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Date: 2014
Media & size: Digital print, 1000mm x 1000mm

Exhibited:
2018 – “The Senses: design beyond vision” / Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, NYC / Curated by: Ellen Lupton and Andrea Lipps
2014 – IEEE VIS 2014 Arts Program / Group, by blind peer-review / Curated by: Forbes, A & Chevalier, F / Marriott Rive-Gauche, Paris, France
2014 – ‘Smellmaps: Amsterdam’ / Solo, collaboration with International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) / Mediamatic, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Collaboration:
Bernardo Fleming Olfactive Design Studio at International Flavors and Fragrances, Hilversum, Netherlands

Published:
2018 – “The Senses: design beyond vision” / Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, NYC / Curated by: Ellen Lupton and Andrea Lipps
2014 – IEEE VIS 2014 Arts Program / Group, by blind peer-review / Curated by: Forbes, A & Chevalier, F / Marriott Rive-Gauche, Paris, France
2014 – ‘Smellmaps: Amsterdam’ / Solo, collaboration with International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) / Mediamatic, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Awards:
2014 – British Cartographic Society Avenza Award for Electronic Mapping

Permanent Collection(s):
Manchester University Library