Throughout time, smells and the act of smelling (also known as olfaction) have been overlooked in Western arts, culture, and media. However, our sense of smell’s direct link with our brain’s limbic system means that when we smell, it activates our memory and emotions in impactful ways. This makes olfaction a powerful pathway and tool to connect with our own past and that of other people and places – and perhaps an interesting precursor to nostalgic perception. Although commonly thought of as the emulation of an aesthetic – grainy home videos, or Instagram filters – could we take a more sensory approach to nostalgia? How is nostalgia more than just a visual phenomenon?

To start exploring such questions, Kunstlicht dedicated their June issue to collecting different ways in which nostalgia is related to smell, olfactory turns in art and memory keeping. Kunstlicht’s Nosetalgia issue showcases artists, perfumers, and scholars who contribute their thoughts, anecdotes and analyses of how smell plays an integral role to our nostalgic perceptions. For our event organised to celebrate World Taste and Smell Day, we will invite a few contributors of the Nosetalgia issue for a fun evening of inspiring and nosetalgic discussions.

This event is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn more about sensory studies and its impact on visual arts and media. The night will feature excerpt readings from the writers, an interview, short presentations, and a concluding discussion and Q&A session with the writers of Nosetalgia.